


Juice Pouch

by fanserviced



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Awkward Romance, Blood Drinking, Blood Magic, Crack, Cumplay, Exhibitionism, Face-Fucking, Frottage, Hair-pulling, Happy Ending, M/M, Mentioned Cannibalism, Parenthood, Rimming, Size Kink, Spanking, Vampires, cum facial, dick smelling kink, thigh fucking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-11 13:12:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 33,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11715087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanserviced/pseuds/fanserviced
Summary: Prompt: Single dad Jongin is terrified when the vampire takeover hits and hires Kyungsoo to be bodyguard for his son Baekhyun. Except he has no money, and Kyungsoo is also a vampire, so Jongin pays him with his own blood.





	1. Train to Chuncheon

  


It wasn’t a bomb that ended the world as Jongin knew it, but a balm. The Super Sparkle Sun Balm SPF 1500 PAV+++++++++ (known popularly as SSSB), to be specific. Priced at a very reasonable 9,800 won and offering the most advanced UVA, UVB, and UVNP filters imaginable, it represented a major leap forward in sun protection.

The development was enabled by the drastic loosening of cosmetics regulations, first in the United States and then abroad. Vampire lobbyists, easily disguised as common corporate blood-suckers, had infiltrated key agencies that had blocked the release of more sophisticated, stronger sunscreens for years. In the confusion of the recent regime change, nobody had bothered to discover why certain sunscreen filters had been kept off the market despite stacks of evidence demonstrating their efficacy and safety. With the final, complete dismantling of cosmetics regulations in late 2017, SSSB was launched by Adoré Atlantic just before the Pyeongchang Olympics, and the global vampire takeover began.

That's what Jongin would come to understand in the days and months after the takeover. At the moment it happened, he was merely trying to buy a hot dog on a train while balancing his baby in one arm and reaching for his wallet with the other.

“Can you nuke this bottle?” Jongin asked, nodding to the counter where it sat. “Well, after I shake it a bit more to mix the powder and water better.”

“Train rules say no,” said the cafe car attendant, pointing to a curling sticker on the microwave that listed the items that couldn't be microwaved in exhaustive detail. “Nursing is better for babies anyway.”

“Trust me, I’d nurse him if I could, but it's not happening, so can you warm up his bottle so he can eat?” asked Jongin, slapping down a ten thousand won note at last.

“I suppose I could put the bottle in the microwave in place of a hot dog if you bought another and accidentally slipped the payment for it into that there tip jar,” said the attendant, nodding to the jar currently holding a few coins.

Jongin sighed. “That's my last ten thousand in cash, thanks, but whatever, one more dog.”

A loud voice behind him rang out. “The business class cafe car is closed right now, can I just quickly buy a Hite tallboy?”

Jongin turned to the rich asshole trying to jump the line, placing his large hand over his baby's head instinctively. He gave the guy a judgey look, up and down, and then turned back to the counter.

“Sorry, I'm kind of in a rush I'm sure you understand,” said the pushy guy behind him.

Jongin turned back to silently give the guy another pass full of judgement. He was shorter with a handsome, but babyish face and large eyes. Beyond that, he just looked fucking cool, if a bit strange. His longish red wine hair had a precise undercut and waved slightly as if it had been professionally styled. He wore a striped dark suit with some sort of fancy tie that was held in place by a gold ornamental pin. A bit editorial for a train from Pyeongchang to Seoul, but if the dude wanted to turn the cafe car that either smelled like Fritos or feet (possibly both) into a Gucci spread, good for him.

That didn't mean that Jongin understood about the need for line jumping.

“Sorry to keep you from your beer, my kid is hungry,” said Jongin. “I'm sure you understand.”

The man looked at the baby with more curiosity than Jongin expected.

“What's his name?” asked the man.

Here Jongin faced a decision. He could give his baby’s real name — but why? He could be a sex offender or...rich...kind of fabulous...shaman who would run back to the silence of the business class car to curse Baekhyun by name. No way to know, better to lie.

“Uhh, Jongin,” said Jongin. “Junior.”

“You named your baby after yourself?” asked the man. “How strange.”

“Yeah, I was inspired by Western traditions,” said Jongin, fully veering into his tendency to over explain when he was lying. “I'm a big fan of Western music and, you know, Michael Jackson, all that, so I wanted to do something Western when naming him.”

“I didn't realize that parental names could be reused for children in Korean family registers. Isn't that considered bad luck?” asked the man.

The microwave dinged as a Hite tallboy hit the counter, saving Jongin from digging the lie in deeper. The beer guy pulled a stack of 50,000 won notes from his wallet and peeled one off the top.

Jongin collected Baekhyun’s bottle, sticking it under his arm, and his hot dog tray before giving his strange conversation partner a perfunctory nod and taking one of the bolted down seats at a long bar in the cafe car.

The countryside flew by before Jongin’s eyes as he held Baekhyun in his left arm and tried to hold the bottle with his left hand while sneaking bites of his hot dog with the right.

“We should get you back in your carrier after you polish off the rest of this bottle,” said Jongin to the baby. “It's about time for a nap.”

Jongin looked out the window before him, ignoring the screens showing 24-hour news channels until they all flashed breaking news red.

He turned to face the screens.

The man stood next to one of the screens, silently drinking his beer and watching the news.

“Breaking news out of Pyeongchang. Reports indicate that a rehearsal for next week’s Olympic opening ceremony was interrupted by violence, and several world leaders and top athletes in attendance may be in critical condition. The following videos come from SNS. We should warn you that they may show images that are disturbing and unsuitable for children.”

Jongin abandoned his hot dog and began to work on getting Baekhyun into his carrier while casting glances at the news. Something didn't feel right. The baby began to cry, wanting his bottle without interruption. A portrait-orientation video showing a strangely withered hand dropping from beneath the sheet covering a coroner’s gurney convinced Jongin to carry on despite Baekhyun’s wails. Not only did something not feel right; something wasn't right.

Jongin strapped the baby carrier onto his chest and bounced a bit to calm the child while watching the news for more information about what was going on. Given the recent poison gas attacks on South Korean ministers by North Korea, Jongin suspected that this was just another, more advanced form of chemical assassination directed at the government and those in power. Nonetheless, he was uneasy.

Jongin’s mind changed concerning the nature of the events in Pyeongchang in just 30 seconds. On the news, a man wearing what seemed to be a Winter 2018 Gucci ensemble flashed on the screen with “Attack Leaders Take Credit” as the caption for the video. Behind him, there was a thump as the forgotten cafe car attendant’s head hit the counter nose-on, his plump hand now missing most of its volume, withered and crepey on his bones as it futily, weakly grabbed for support.

Jongin turned back to the first class asshole next to the televisions. The man’s eyes met his and Jongin knew he was going to die.

That said, he owed it to his son, though unanticipated by both parents and unwanted by his mother, to fight for his life to the end. With that, Jongin raised his leg and landed a preemptive kick squarely on the man’s decorated chest, sending his remaining Hite flying.

Jongin raced toward the opposite door that would lead to one of the passenger cars where he might be able find some way to outrun or hide from what seemed to be a well-dressed conspirator in the plot.

The door to the nearest passenger car whisked open and Jongin darted down the aisle while avoiding crossed legs and stray scarves. He looked back and didn't see the man following him, but he continued on to the next car anyway, hoping to put distance between them. Again, the door whisked open without a problem.

It was when he was midway through the second car that he thought to look back, perhaps wishing he had thought to find a way to block the doors behind him.

The door slid open again and there in the doorway stood the man, now sporting a dirty print on his white shirt and red tie, staggering forward eerily as the train lurched.

Jongin raced forward, hoping to outrun and somehow block him from entering the third and final passenger car before the engine.

He grabbed at the door to the first car and yanked, but it wouldn’t yield. Knowing that time was running short, he dove into the nearest bathroom and slid the door shut.

Baekhyun picked that moment to wail, possibly startled by the slamming of the bathroom door, possibly picking up on the fact that this would be an opportune moment to stay silent.

Jongin juggled the baby, trying to quiet him while taking the carrier off. He flipped the toilet seat down, converted the fancy, multifunctional carrier to a soft seat with head support, and slid Baekhyun into it, buckling him in while wiping away the tears.

“You need to be quiet,” said Jongin. “I know I'm supposed to support your attempts to vocalize, even at this young age, but you really need to keep quiet while dad figures out what the fuck is going on.”

“Kids absorb everything,” said a voice from the direction of the sliding door. “You shouldn't swear in front of them, even if they're babies.”

Jongin turned, his stomach feeling as though it were somewhere on the tracks below the train.

“I forgot to lock the door,” said Jongin dully. “Fine, let’s fight to the death or whatever.”

“I honestly came here hoping for an apology for the passé Tae Bo move to the chest, I don't know what you're on about,” said the man.

“You're upset that I'm using 90s aerobics moves to kick you?” asked Jongin.

“I’d rather not get kicked, Billy Blanks, but if you're going to do it, at least make it look cool and somewhat current on the security footage,” said the man.

“I'll have you know that there's been a resurgence in ironic vintage aerobics classes,” said Jongin, bristling. “That security footage shows you murdering the cafe attendant, it's not exactly content for the Instagram unless you're in some sort of death cult, which honestly makes sense now that I say it out loud, oh my god.”

“Murder! Is that what they call requesting a beer slightly out of turn these days?” he asked.

“You didn't kill the guy?” asked Jongin.

“Murder really isn't my specialization,” said the man.

“Who did?” asked Jongin.

“Well, one of us,” said the man, gesturing to his clothes, “but it wasn't me.”

“Who is us?” asked Jongin, shifting back and bumping against Baekhyun’s foot in an attempt to shield him. The baby screamed louder.

“You should probably get him to stop,” said the man. “I'm chill, but lord knows what the others are getting up to.”

“I've been trying to get him to calm down, but it's not working,” said Jongin. “It's like he _knows_.”

The man began to make a noise, blowing air through his lips. Jongin and Baekhyun both turned to him. He continued, rotating his head to project the sound from one side of the room to another, then mimicking a spectator at a race shielding their eyes from the sun as they watched something race by.

“Motorbike, wow cool,” said the man softly.

The baby stopped crying and looked at the man in wonder, little bubbles forming at the corner of his mouth as he attempted to make the same noises.

“It sounds like you aren't bent on murder, so I feel like an asshole for kicking you,” said Jongin. “Sorry.”

“No prob,” said the man. “I mean, you were on the right track, but that's just not my style. I'm Do Kyungsoo, by the way.”

“I'm Jongin–but you know that, I guess. What's up with the sudden uniforms and murder?”

“Well, it's been sort of brewing for awhile, so I wouldn't call it sudden, but I can see why it would look like that to you,” said Kyungsoo.

“But what is it?” asked Jongin.

“A revolution of sorts,” said Kyungsoo.

“You're...rich North Koreans?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo snorted. “Hardly.”

“Rich...cultists?” asked Jongin.

“We’re not all rich, that's a harmful stereotype that we will work to combat in the coming months and years,” said Kyungsoo.

“Who is ‘we’?” asked Jongin.

“We’re night people,” said Kyungsoo.

“You’re literally killing people off because you enjoy staying up at night?” asked Jongin. “I mean, I like sleep a lot, too, but please gain some perspective.”

“No, not night people, Night People,” said Kyungsoo. “It’s our group name.”

“Do you have have a fanclub for your group?” asked Jongin. “Let me guess, they’re called the Night Lights?”

“Are you making fun of my group? Way to be problematic, asshole,” said Kyungsoo. “Our culture has been appropriated by the mainstream and we’ve been slandered for centuries. Have you ever read the trash authors have written about us just to get readers hot and bothered? From Bram Stoker to Stephenie Meyer, we’ve been repackaged and sold to the masses while actual Night People are forced to live limited lives in silence and shadows.”

“You’re vampires,” said Jongin dully.

“We’ve been called that, but it’s not like we’re some sort of other species. I’m a human, too,” said Kyungsoo. “We’re Night People.”

“I get the people part,” said Jongin. “What about the ‘Night’ part?”

“Full-grown Night People tend to burn and develop skin cancer almost instantly in the sun, so we were forced to take on work shifts at night once industrialization hit. Of course, the development and approval — at fucking last — of decent sunscreen changes the whole game. Day People who were aware of us prevented the release of it for decades and kept us stuck in nocturnal patterns, so you can imagine why some of the group would be pissed.”

“You’re making it sound like you’re just susceptible to sunburns — what about the whole pre-Olympics murder bit?” asked Jongin.

“I’m not certain what’s going on with that, I’m not on any of the planning committees. From what I understand, a Night Person should be able to take some fluids from a Day Person without a problem, so who knows why people are ending up looking like raisins,” said Kyungsoo. “It could be that the core group is just trying to shock and awe Day People into accepting the regime change.”

“Then why did you kill the cafe car attendant?” asked Jongin. “He’s not exactly integral to the functions of the government.”

“I already told you that I didn’t kill him,” said Kyungsoo. “He looks like his blood would be disgusting.”

“How do you know that his blood would be disgusting?” asked Jongin.

“Are you literally trying to play 20 questions in the middle of a takeover?” asked Kyungsoo.

“I’m still alive, so you can’t say it doesn’t work,” said Jongin.

“I’m not going to kill you,” said the man with a sigh. “I can’t say the same for the others because it looks like some people have gone off-script.”

“It sounds like for all you know, this could be the script,” said Jongin.

“When did you graduate high school?” asked Kyungsoo.

“We’re in the middle of a vampire takeover and you’re concerned about who’s the hyung?” asked Jongin.

“It only seems polite,” said Kyungsoo. “I realize that from your perspective, society is breaking down, but we’ve been patiently waiting for a chance to come out of the shadows, both literally and figuratively. A lot is changing quite fast, but I don’t see why we need to abandon age distinctions overnight. We’re Night People, not nihilists.”

“You must think you’re the hyung,” said Jongin.

“I’m 99 percent sure,” said Kyungsoo.

“I graduated seven years ago,” said Jongin.

“Eight years ago for me,” said Kyungsoo with a smirk.

“Do Kyungsoo-ssi,” said Jongin, glancing at his curious but quiet baby, “my kid needs to live.”

“What’s his name?” asked Kyungsoo. “Not the fake name you gave me after glancing at the ceiling to buy time, but his real name.”

“Baekhyun,” said Jongin.

“Cute kid,” said Kyungsoo. “I wish I could help, but I’m obviously not exactly the Hulk to begin with, and if other Night People are getting charged up via blood, that would mean three of us murdered, not just you two.”

“You don’t have super human powers or immortality or anything?” asked Jongin.

“Aside from the ability to answer a lot of questions without blowing up, no, nothing special,” said Kyungsoo.

“I’m obviously out of cash, but I could get some at the next stop,” said Jongin. “As long as the ATMs are working.”

“They’re not,” said Kyungsoo. “I’m not certain, but we’ve been told to carry a lot of cash for years precisely so everyone would be ready for this moment. The financial takeover team probably hacked the banking system before the first body even collapsed. Besides, what can money buy?”

“I dunno, some more Hite so you get tipsy and consider protecting my kid anyway?” said Jongin.

“The cafe attendant is dead, so we could just take the beer,” said Kyungsoo. “Doesn’t change the fact that I’m small and you look like you taste delicious. Even a sane person might pick us off for sport if we’re together.”

“Would my blood help make you stronger?” asked Jongin.

“You want to give me your blood?” asked Kyungsoo.

“If it’s going to save my kid, yeah,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo shifted from foot to foot.

“Tell me about your lifestyle. What do you do for a living? Drink? Smoke? Drugs?” asked Kyungsoo.

“I’m a personal trainer and fitness instructor, so I’m paid to stay fit and eat well — mostly plants. Lotta chicken breast. Sometimes chicken the fried kind. I rarely drink and I’ve never smoked,” said Jongin.

“Never in your whole life?” asked Kyungsoo.

“I tried a cigarette once before dance class in high school and basically wanted to die,” said Jongin.

“I bet you’re as delicious as they come,” said Kyungsoo. “As long as what you say is true.”

Jongin took Kyungsoo’s hand and put it on his abs before flexing them.

“Umm, that’s a bit forward,” said Kyungsoo.

“I am what I say I am, I’m just trying to show you,” said Jongin.

“Fine,” said Kyungsoo.

“You accept my offer of blood for protection?” asked Jongin.

“Yeah,” said Kyungsoo. “I’m not certain why, so stop asking questions and let me latch on.”

“Ok,” said Jongin, tensing and bending his knees so Kyungsoo might be able to reach his neck more comfortably.

“You have to loosen up to get it flowing right,” said Kyungsoo, gesturing to Jongin’s folded arms.

“I can assure you that my blood is still pumping even if my body language isn't relaxed,” said Jongin.

“Ok, I may not have mentioned an aspect of all of this that's very important to the success of our partnership,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin looked over disbelievingly at Kyungsoo leaning against the sink.

“What could you possibly have neglected to tell me about this sudden and baffling takeover?” asked Jongin.

“You know how there are different grades of milk and meat at the grocery store?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Are you seriously comparing my bodily fluids to 2% milk?” asked Jongin.

“Not some factory farmed, weakass 2%. Your blood, I'd wager, is like a full-bodied, unpasteurized, unhomogenized raw whole milk,” said Kyungsoo. “That's why I agreed to help you two despite this not really being a great era for Day People. I want to absorb all that healthy goodness.”

“Ok, so you think I'm going to have delicious blood. Great. Can we proceed with the transfer of said blood so we can get out of this pee cage and maybe get somewhere a bit safer and or less smelly?” asked Jongin.

“See, this is the problem,” said Kyungsoo. “You have this immaculately maintained body with drama shower scene abs that screams ‘grade A++ juice’ and then you're actually stressed as fuck. You're literally poisoning your blood with all that negativity. How am I supposed to suck you when you're pouring all these toxic stress hormones into your blood? I'm stressed as it is, I don't need to take in yours, too.”

Jongin sputtered, uncertain of where to start. “First of all, maybe my stress level would be a bit lower if we weren't in the middle of a vampire takeover. Given that I'm not one of the, you know, vampires, not sure what the fuck I'm supposed to do about that. Second, did you just say ‘suck you’ to refer to sucking my blood?” Do you have any idea what that sounds like?”

“It's part of a rebranding campaign organized by some millennials that work in marketing. They handle styling, too. They thought that if it sounded and looked sexy or at least cohesive, more people might go for it. As for the overall takeover, not sure what that has to do with me since I'm not thrilled about society collapsing given that I was scheduled to do a big standup set next week and now nobody is going to want to leave their homes to hear jokes about political leaders that can be seen on the news dead and looking like deflated blow-up dolls,” said Kyungsoo.

“You're a standup comedian?” asked Jongin.

“No, a farmer,” said Kyungsoo, his voice breaking for comedic effect.

“You don’t have to be sarcastic, I’m just curious. Are you successful?” asked Jongin.

“Not particularly,” said Kyungsoo. “I have a lot of material written that capitalizes on the pain of growing up a literal freak of nature, but it’s not like I could actually use that until we — ta da! — revealed ourselves at last.”

“I just don’t see you as the sort of person who laughs,” said Jongin.

“Trust me, I’m hilarious,” said Kyungsoo, his face completely blank.

Jongin began to shake, unable to contain the laughs. He started to hit his own leg as tears escaped. Eventually he moved to hit Kyungsoo’s shoulder in glee, but Kyungsoo caught his forearm and spun him against the sink.

“Now that you're in a more delicious mood, shall we proceed?” Kyungsoo asked. “I specialize in dry humor, as you can probably tell.”

“Now? Why not later?” asked Jongin. “I'll be so much less stressed and therefore more delicious later.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. “I bet you're right,” he said. “I’ll have to compare the two to be sure.”

Jongin, now gripping the sink behind him, thrust his left arm toward Kyungsoo, his wrist leading. “Please be gentle,” he said. “I don't want my son to see me with wounds.”

Kyungsoo grabbed the arm and pinned it next to Jongin’s head on the shatter-resistant mirror.

“That's not how this works,” said Kyungsoo.

“I feared that,” said Jongin, resigned.

“Don't get so sad on me now and ruin my first taste of you,” said Kyungsoo. He crowded in, moving between Jongin’s legs.

Kyungsoo’s left hand came up to cradle the bottom of Jongin’s head and massage his ear. Jongin leaned into the touch quite naturally and then jolted back from it when he realized what he had done.

“I'm only doing this to get your blood balanced, don't go all gay panic on me,” said Kyungsoo.

“What's there to panic about?” asked Jongin.

“Says the guy with the kid,” said Kyungsoo.

“Did you come out of a coffin after a century-long sleep just now?” asked Jongin. “Get with the times.”

“So it's not the fact that I'm a man massaging your ear to make you release tasty hormones that freaks you out?” asked Kyungsoo.

“No, it's the fact that you're pushing a physical button of sorts to release hormones so my blood tastes better to you, believe it or not,” said Jongin.

“Can you feel it?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Feel what?” asked Jongin.

“The faucet digging into your back,” said Kyungsoo.

“Oh, I didn't notice–” said Jongin, shifting forward as Kyungsoo placed a protective hand to guide him. Kyungsoo didn't step back, effectively helping Jongin to crowd into his space.

“You're all wet,” said Kyungsoo.

“I am?” asked Jongin dumbly.

“Mmm hmm. That's what you get for leaning away into the faucet,” said Kyungsoo, brushing water from the back of his shirt.

“Thank you for letting me know,” said Jongin.

“I look at this protection thing like a package deal,” said Kyungsoo. The kid won't be safe without his dad, so dad needs protecting, too. I don't want to get saddled with finding a suitable place to dump your kid if you die.”

“You'd find a suitable place for Baekhyun if I died?” asked Jongin.

“I'm a Night Person, not a monster, my god,” said Kyungsoo.

“Oh,” said Jongin, his eyes looking down.

“I'm only saying that to make you tasty,” said Kyungsoo, bringing up his other hand to massage both earlobes at once.

Jongin sat expressionless, staring at the wall behind Kyungsoo.

“You seriously can't take my blood from my arm?” asked Jongin.

“Where's the fun in that?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Do my hair,” said Jongin.

“What?” asked Kyungsoo.

“My hair,” said Jongin lowly.

“Your hair what?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Massage my hair,” said Jongin. “For the sake of my kid I need to taste good, right?”

“You're learning so fast,” said Kyungsoo. He carefully turned Jongin around so he faced the mirror that only bore the slightest resemblance to a mirror, his image fuzzy and waving in it. Kyungsoo advanced on his back, crowding into his space.

Jongin leaned forward and knocked his head against the mirror. Kyungsoo ran his thumbs up the back of Jongin’s neck on either side of his spine.

“You'd need this even if Night People didn't take over,” said Kyungsoo.

“You try carrying a kid around all the time,” said Jongin.

“He's sleeping for now,” said Kyungsoo.

“For now,” said Jongin. “Just get it over with, do it.”

Jongin watched the fuzzy approximation of Kyungsoo’s face come closer in the quasi mirror.

“This isn't going to turn me into one of you and force me to jump off this train to prevent myself from killing my kid, is it?” asked Jongin, looking back.

“Interspersed with cheesy flashbacks to the first time you held him? I think not,” said Kyungsoo, sneering and directing Jongin’s head back around.

“What does it taste like?” asked Jongin.

“Blood?” asked Kyungsoo. “It tastes like blood?”

“If it all tasted the same, why would you want mine especially?” asked Jongin.

“Oh, you mean like that? It all tastes like blood, but you know how black coffee can taste a million ways depending on whether it’s a watery powder or the beans are eaten and shit out by civet cats before being brewed? Same with blood. But it all tastes like — well, I've only had synthetic and cleaned postmortem blood, which tastes like some weakass approximation of blood.” said Kyungsoo.

“Hold up, you're busting several nuts over my blood and you've only had synthetic and sterilized blood?” asked Jongin.

“Jongin, the takeover literally happened a few hours ago, we haven't been sucking openly in the lead-up, have we?” returned Kyungsoo.

“So you're just guessing what different blood tastes like?” asked Jongin.

“I'm guessing that you've read books about secret agents and murderers and space travelers, right? And you can imagine life through their eyes?” asked Kyungsoo. “Yeah, it's like that — I can read and I have a fucking imagination, same as any other human. I swear to god, if I have to keep proving my humanity to you, you two can join the other abandoned beach balls and shrivel.”

Jongin gently bumped backed into Kyungsoo.

“I bet you can't even do it,” said Jongin. “Performance anxiety. Come on, suck me and charge up so we can get the fuck out of here.”

Kyungsoo wrapped his arms around Jongin’s chest.

“Brace against me,” he said, “sometimes people flop in reaction to their first time.”

“Thanks for being my first,” said Jongin. “This is really special, just as I've always imagined it.”

Kyungsoo hit his head. “Dumbass,” he said. “Just stay quiet, you are not funny.”

Jongin began to heave in deep breaths.

“I can't, I–” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo dragged his nose up the tendon from Jongin’s clavicle to behind his ear.

“You're doing so good,” Kyungsoo said quietly, “you just have to–”

He cut himself off mid sentence to bite into Jongin’s neck, not on the jugular, but on a meaty bit closer to the shoulder.

As predicted, Jongin collapsed upon feeling the bite. Kyungsoo caught him, but in removing his teeth, he removed the things preventing Jongin's blood from leaking everywhere.

“Are you hard?” asked Jongin, his hand coming back to determine what was digging into his leg. “I was just joking about you busting nuts over my blood, but my god, that's not even half-mast, you're ready to go?”

“You pass out from a little bite and get yourself covered in blood because I'm distracted from sucking you and your first thought is my dick?” asked Kyungsoo. “I'm touched.”

“I'm covered in blood?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo angled him in front of the quasi mirror. Even in the hazy reflection Jongin could see the blood. He slumped again, this time passing out.

He woke to the sensation of a dog licking him. He laughed and petted the dog’s head, must be Monggu, he must be at his parent’s house for some reason.

But Monggu’s head didn't feel quite right, it was too big and her fur was too straight for a curly-haired poodle. The tongue was too big — was he dreaming about a wolf’s knot again? He really needed to get laid. He shifted against the pillows and let himself enjoy the thought.

“Oh my god, are you seriously getting turned on by this?” asked Kyungsoo, effectively rousing Jongin.

“Are you a wolf?” asked Jongin. “In that case, no, not turned on. Are you done licking me yet?”

“I'm cleaning you and repairing the wound you managed to rip open when you fell over while my teeth were stuck in you,” said Kyungsoo. “You're welcome.”

“Can we just get–”

A knock at the door to the bathroom.

Jongin’s eyes opened wide.

“What do we do?” he whispered.

Kyungsoo gestured with his hands to be quiet.

“Hello,” said Kyungsoo. “Night Person speaking. How can I help you?”

Jongin felt a very inappropriately timed giggle bubble up.

Another knock, now more insistent.

“You'll need to come back, I'm a bit busy at the moment,” said Kyungsoo.

Something scraped at the door handle and rattled the lock.

Kyungsoo looked at Baekhyun, still asleep somehow and then at Jongin’s shoes. He ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them, now resolute.

“Urh,” Kyungsoo said from deep within his throat. “Oh urggg.”

He shifted against the door.

“Oh yes, like that,” he moaned. “Yes, oh yes baby.”

“Are you trying to make sex noises?” whispered Jongin, shrinking away.

“Oh yes, harder,” he said with moderate emotion while gesturing for Jongin to come over.

He banged up against the door rhythmically to cover the hasty conversation.

“Night People, despite being all about the night tend to be kind of shy about you know, so if I simulate the occurrence of it, it might get this friend,” Kyungsoo said, pounding on the door and moaning in a high pitched voice, “to move along.”

“Sex?” asked Jongin.

“What?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Vampires are shy about sex?” he said.

Kyungsoo nodded emphatically.

“It makes you uncomfortable?” asked Jongin.

“Used to,” said Kyungsoo. “About fifty million won in therapy helped me work through it, thank you very much.”

“Vampires in therapy, huh,” said Jongin.

“Oh yeah, totally, right there!” shouted Kyungsoo while staring with fierce hatred at Jongin.

Kyungsoo stood with his back to the bathroom door when Jongin moved in on him, placing his hands well above Kyungsoo’s head. He shook the door and began to moan, this sound far more convincing.

“I can't believe I'm faking sex noises in front of my baby,” whispered Jongin.

“I mean, he was kind of an outcome of you engaging in intercourse, so maybe it's ok,” said Kyungsoo, caged in by Jongin’s arms.

“Oh god yes!” yelled Jongin before looking down at Kyungsoo. “It's not like he was watching from his crib when he was made.”

“Eff me harder,” said Kyungsoo in a high pitched voice.

Jongin froze. “What was that?” he said.

Panic flashed across Kyungsoo’s face. “What? Do you hear something?” he said.

“No, just–did you seriously say ‘eff’ rather than ‘fuck’,” asked Jongin.

“I need this to seem like a plausible Night Person encounter,” said Kyungsoo.

“So do you, like, keep your clothes on and the lights off during sex?” asked Jongin.

“Jongin,” hissed Kyungsoo, “I worked at a comedy bar before all of this, if you think my experiences and outlook are typical of Night People, you're going to be sorely disappointed.”

“How sorely?” asked Jongin.

“Urgh, are you trying to get me to fuck you with your baby sleeping nearby and a representative of the newly installed regime quite possibly outside?” asked Kyungsoo.

“No, I've heard that people do all sorts of crazy fucking after a disaster, but this honestly isn't enough of a disaster to inspire me to fuck you,” said Jongin. “Maybe the recovering prude blood sucker thing will work on someone else but please put us somewhere safe while indulging in disaster dicking, if you must.”

“It's like you want to die, you do realize that?” asked Kyungsoo. “Who the fuck has a long conversation like this while their prospective murderer is on the other side of the door?”

“The person on the other side of the door moved on five minutes ago,” said Jongin. “I was just giving us some buffer time.”

Kyungsoo moved his hands to his eyes and rubbed. “Ok, whatever. I have an idea.”

\--

“The baby is mine, a Night Baby,” said Kyungsoo to a man similarly dressed in Gucci as he approached an exit of the train. He gestured to Baekhyun, riding in his carrier on Kyungsoo’s front while still sleeping. He yanked forward a taller figure wearing a too-small travel pillowcase over his head.

“I need a snack later, so I'm taking this,” said Kyungsoo.

The man shoved Kyungsoo’s small shoulder and laughed.

“No you're not,” said the man.

“Uhh, you seem to have mistaken my statement for a question,” said Kyungsoo.

The man knocked Jongin into Kyungsoo and grabbed Jongin’s arm.

“Sorry, orders are to drain these ones, no survivors on this train,” said the man.

“Perhaps we can step over to that corner and discuss this,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin waited in terror, hearing very little, and afraid because his son was now somewhere outside his reach. He began to fidget, seemingly jerking randomly but doing an aerobics class routine in his head to calm his nerves.

After a few minutes, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun returned.

“Come on, let's get the fuck out of here,” said Kyungsoo lowly, taking Jongin by the upper arm.

Jongin nodded. Even he knew to keep silent in this moment.

It was after exiting the train and walking five minutes down what seemed through the travel pillowcase to be dark, deserted streets that Kyungsoo stopped walking and removed it from Jongin’s head.

Kyungsoo’s face looked oily. Or sweaty.

“We’re in Chuncheon. I thought we should get off here rather than take our chances closer to Seoul,” said Kyungsoo.

“How did you get that guy to let me off the train with you?” asked Jongin.

“Let's just say that I hope you're into scrounging for food because we no longer have cash,” said Kyungsoo.

“Why couldn't you fight the guy? I thought that was the whole point of sucking me,” said Jongin, kicking a stray stick.

“Do you realize how much blood actually got in my mouth when you collapsed? I can't even capri sun you for awhile because otherwise you'll raisin,” said Kyungsoo.

“Fuck,” said Jongin. “Thanks for carrying my kid though.”

“I'm not so small that I can't carry your baby,” said Kyungsoo. “It's no big deal.”

“Where are we going,” said Jongin, looking around at the city.

“A place my family owns,” said Kyungsoo.

“Like a summer house?” asked Jongin. “Lots of my clients have summer houses. I like the ones in the countryside–”

“Here we are,” said Kyungsoo, stopping before a blank door on the side of a building.

“This doesn't look like a summer house,” said Jongin.

“It's not,” said Kyungsoo. “Just come in.”

They entered the building quietly and Kyungsoo motioned to remain quiet. He withdrew his phone and turned on the flashlight function. They moved through a back hall and into a larger, open room. Jongin saw a couch and breathed a sigh of relief. He motioned to the couch, indicating that he wanted to sit. Kyungsoo nodded to give the ok.

Jongin collapsed quietly, holding in a moan from exhaustion. It wasn't that he had physically exerted himself much that day, but that the stress of trying to survive had drained him of energy. He leaned back, closing his eyes as he sank into the overstuffed cushions.

“I think there are some basic provisions here,” said Kyungsoo, now confident that they were alone.

“I don't think I can eat,” said Jongin. “Which is crazy, because I can always eat.”

“Can I hand the baby to you?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Of course. Thanks again for carrying him,” said Jongin, opening his eyes and looking across the room to see what else was in it.

He froze.

“Kyungsoo. What is that?” asked Jongin, pointing to a shape across what looked like a modern living room.

“Casket,” said Kyungsoo. “My family owns the top chain of Western-style funeral homes in Korea.”

“You have to be fucking with me,” said Jongin, receiving the sleeping Baekhyun into his arms. “The world is exploding and you bring us to a funeral home to hide out?”

“You have to admit that it's kind of unexpected,” said Kyungsoo.

“What the fucking fuck. My kid is going to have a major death complex because of this,” said Jongin. “All that Baby Einstein stuff down the drain.”

“It's not like Day People are exactly jumping to do these jobs,” said Kyungsoo. “Undertakers, butchers, club bouncers and bartenders: it’s not what most people dream of doing, but we fill those holes in society and make it work.”

“I need to know: is the casket filled?” asked Jongin.

“Not sure,” said Kyungsoo, wandering over and hefting the lid open with difficulty.

“Nope,” said Kyungsoo. “Looks like this is the showroom used for funeral planning meetings.”

“Have you even been here before?” asked Jongin.

“No,” said Kyungsoo. “We have 25 locations, 26 if you count the one under renovation in Daegu, and I'm not part of the family business, so I stay away. Luckily my mom's assistant was able to text me the door code.”

“I can't believe he's still asleep,” said Jongin, looking fondly at his baby.

“Despite some misunderstandings, he played his part well,” said Kyungsoo.

“What am I going to do?” asked Jongin, the reality of the situation hitting him. “How am I going to live one day after another like this?”

“It doesn't need to be figured out tonight. Just go to sleep and deal with it tomorrow,” said Kyungsoo.

With that, Jongin sunk into the cushions and fell asleep.

\--

When he woke the next morning, Jongin was in a panic. His son was no longer on his chest.

“Baekhyun?” he called cautiously while jamming his hands into the gaps in the couch cushions.

“Baek?” he said, bile rising in his throat.

“Kyungsoo!” he roared.

A cry came from across the room and Kyungsoo ran toward the casket, now with the lid propped open.

“Shh,” said Kyungsoo, ducking his hand into the casket and rubbing the baby’s belly while speaking to him. “You just got to sleep again, don't let your father ruin a perfectly good nap.”

“Why did you put my kid in a casket?” asked Jongin, discreetly wiping his eyes.

“Does anything else around here remotely resemble a crib?” asked Kyungsoo. “I realize that it's not the most orthodox, but the intention was safety. You fell asleep with him in your arms, he could have been badly hurt.”

“I'm not ready to be a parent,” said Jongin, slumping down in the cushions.

“Ok?” said Kyungsoo.

“You seem perfectly nice and normal aside from the attempted line jumping,” said Jongin. “More like a parent type than me. How did Night People even come to be different?”

Kyungsoo stiffened. “Thanks? Genetic mutation,” he said while looking at Baekhyun.

“When?” asked Jongin.

“Have you heard of the people in Kentucky or whatever who intermarried so much they had a blue cast to their skin?” said Kyungsoo.

“No, but I'm feeling a trip to Wikipedia coming on,” said Jongin.

“Anyway, certain taboos exist for a reason. When they're broken by humans, bad things happen,” said Kyungsoo.

“So you guys intermarried a lot?” asked Jongin.

“No, Night People researchers think that we may have eaten people in the distant past,” said Kyungsoo. “That's usually a good way to pick up diseases, but I guess our DNA adapted to pick up some benefits that outweighed the risk.”

“Oh my fuck, you're cannibals?” hissed Jongin.

“Did you miss the part where we drink blood?” asked Kyungsoo.

“I never thought about it that way,” said Jongin. “I think I'm going to be sick.”

“Anyway, the hardcore stuff ended a long time ago, it was too forcibly condemned in the modern era,” said Kyungsoo.

“So would you get stronger if you barbecued me?” asked Jongin quietly. “That's not an offer, but…”

“No, blood is the purest form of energy we can absorb, and our gains from it are capped,” said Kyungsoo. “It's not like I can just drink and drink and drink and hulk up. Also, that's fucking disgusting, you're going to force me to become vegan again if you talk like that. I like steak, I love it, don't do that to me.”

“You say that as if you don't drink blood,” said Jongin.

“Have you tasted coffee?” asked Kyungsoo. “Stuff is foul no matter if it’s powder or civet cat shit. Don't be narrow minded.”

“True,” said Jongin, swinging his legs on the couch.

“How much baby formula do you have?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Half a can in the backpack,” said Jongin. “Fuck, how am I going to feed him? And what about diapers?”

“Yeah, my thoughts, too,” said Kyungsoo grimly.

“Maybe we can find someone who is nursing already and convince her to nurse Baek,” said Jongin.

“This village isn't exactly overrun with young families, there's a reason one of our 25, 26 counting Daegu, locations is here,” said Kyungsoo. “Best bet is to go to the store. Maybe I can just force my way out with some if the electronic payment systems really are down.” His jaw set.

“You can leave us now, you know,” said Jongin in a small voice.

“To be honest, I'm not certain that I can survive this takeover ether,” said Kyungsoo. “It seems like some Night People are having the blood equivalent of roid rage. I was always the smallest in the class. Your blood is my best shot at making it, I'm sorry to put that on you.”

“I hope this fucking works,” said Jongin. “When can you try to feed again?”

“Five days minimum, to be safe,” said Kyungsoo. “Longer if you're not eating and drinking right.”

“Fuck, I'm going to run out of formula before then,” said Jongin.

“He doesn't eat solid food yet?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Not even baby crackers,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo collapsed on the couch next to Jongin, satisfied that Baekhyun was sleeping soundly in his casket.

“I can't allow him to suffer,” said Jongin, staring blankly ahead. “He's too little, he won't understand and it’ll hurt him more. I either have to try something crazy or end things for both of us before it gets bad. I know that sounds insane, but–”

“I understand,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin turned to face him.

“If it gets really bad, will you promise to just drain me and somehow get him to my parents’ in Incheon? Their address is in my wallet,” said Jongin. “Do whatever you have to do, eat whatever part of me will make you stronger, just don't let Baek suffer.”

Kyungsoo nodded solemnly.

“Why blood?” asked Jongin.

“As opposed to water?” asked Kyungsoo.

“No, as opposed to all sorts of other bodily stuff,” said Jongin.

“Oh. A lot of nutrition, I guess. That stuff is rich. Also, I don't think researchers have fully said this exactly because it sounds crazy and unscientific, but I always kind of suspected that it has as much to do with the magic of one person giving some life force so the other person can receive it,” said Kyungsoo.

“God that's weird, but kind of beautiful,” said Jongin.

“Yeah, I feel like that's why cleaned blood is so unsatisfying. There's no give and take if the person is already dead,” said Kyungsoo.

“Already dead?” asked Jongin, blanching.

Kyungsoo motioned to the building around them. “Yeah, why else would I be a Western-style funeral home chain chaebol?”

“Your family...drains people of their blood for a living?” asked Jongin.

“We haven't done it personally since my grandfather expanded his business in the 50s,” said Kyungsoo. “Employees handle everything now in clean rooms. I mean, it's part of Western traditions, look it up, the blood has to go somewhere so the embalming fluid can enter. Might as well make some lemonade out of human lemons.”

“Do these people know that their blood is going to be...you know, used, when they sign up for these burial services?” asked Jongin.

“I'm not certain that they're fully aware, but that's not our fault; it's in the contract,” said Kyungsoo. “Don't skip over the fine print when signing something by the way.”

“Do we have any fine print?” asked Jongin, gesturing between them.

“I gave up on fine print when I dropped out of law school and started doing standup,” said Kyungsoo.

“I can’t tell if you're serious about that,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo glared at him.

“I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but what about other fluids?” asked Jongin.

“Like lymph?” asked Kyungsoo.

“So innocent,” whispered Jongin.

“Oh, you mean–oh,” said Kyungsoo. “You mean blood of all sorts and semen?”

“Mmhmm,” said Jongin.

“I've...never heard…” said Kyungsoo.

“But you said Night People don't feel comfortable with sex,” said Jongin.

“We’re capable of having sex sometimes,” said Kyungsoo. “We've procreated well enough. We’re not as prolific as Day People, but I suppose it's somehow related to genetics.”

“Yeah, but you don't talk about it much, right?” asked Jongin.

“No,” said Kyungsoo. “Not without therapy.”

“So this might work and you just don't know just because people are too shy to talk about it. How would you feel about drinking my semen as an experiment?” asked Jongin.

“I'm sorry, what!” said Kyungsoo.

“Listen, I’m just throwing out ideas here, in hopes of finding something that works,” said Jongin.

“And you come up with that?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Can you think of any other life energy-related fluid that's easily accessible and won't cause me to raisin?” asked Jongin.

“So what, you come in a jar and I slurp it down?” asked Kyungsoo. “That sounds fucking disgusting now that I say it out loud.”

Jongin grimaced. “Yeah.”

“It kind of kills the good vibe boost, too,” said Kyungsoo. “If this is even a thing, it would probably work like blood: the happier, more relaxed the hormones in your system are, the more effective the fluid is.”

“I'm pretty happy when I jerk off,” said Jongin.

“But are you going to be happy when you're jerking off to save your kid?” asked Kyungsoo. “It's like how guys who need to give a semen sample at the doctor’s office lose their minds and or hard-ons because they can't come due to the pressure.”

“There comes a turning point for all heroes,” said Jongin. “I'm sorry to say that your turning point may be sucking my dick.”

“You think your jizz is so potent that it can turn me into a hero?” asked Kyungsoo with a sneer.

“I had sex with Baekhyun’s mom one time and that obviously was enough to produce the cutest, loudest kid on the block, so don't doubt it,” said Jongin.

“Where is she?” asked Kyungsoo while picking at a stray thread on the couch. “Is she going to be pissed that some guy is sucking her man’s dick to get stronger?”

“She's at her house,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo looked up.

“With her husband,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo’s eyes grew larger.

“I'm...sorry?” said Kyungsoo. “Not entirely sure what to say, but I feel like I need to say something because wow that’s a story.”

“Nothing to be sorry about, but thanks,” said Jongin. “I never intended to play a central role in Baekhyun’s life, but she contacted me shortly after he was born and she signed over sole custody to me. I expected them to raise him together, no big deal, but I guess something happened and it wasn't going to work out.”

“At this rate, your man juice isn't going to do shit except make me contact sad,” said Kyungsoo.

“I could put on some, I dunno, sports and numb my emotions,” said Jongin. “If there were a tv in this room.”

“The main purpose of this room is viewing the casket and feeling sad, so sorry about the lack of tv,” said Kyungsoo. “Nobody picking out shit for their own funeral wants to think of their friends and family watching Knowing Brothers next to their body.”

“Can we get this dick sucking over with?” asked Jongin. “I'm stressed just thinking about it.”

“Can you, like, take it out?” asked Kyungsoo. He slid from the couch to the floor in front of Jongin.

“Umm, sure,” said Jongin. “What's your preferred way to do this?”

“I...not? I prefer not? To do this, that is,” said Kyungsoo.

“What's going to be the most comfortable pose for me to assume so you can absorb my life energy through my dick?” asked Jongin.

“Just sit on the couch, I think,” said Kyungsoo. “Think happy thoughts.”

“Ok, ok,” said Jongin. “I guess we’re really going to do this.”

Jongin reached for his jeans and popped open the button.

“Ok, I guess I can do this all myself,” he said quietly.

Kyungsoo groaned, moved closer, and delicately reached out with his index finger and thumb to reach for the zipper. He drew it down slowly.

A baby’s cry pierced the tense silence.

“Oh fuck, my son is going to be scarred forever!” said Jongin, grabbing his pants by the waistband and stumbling toward the casket while zipping and buttoning his jeans closed again. Kyungsoo sat back on the floor cradling his jammed hand while muttering.

“You didn't see anything, kiddo,” said Jongin while bouncing the baby he had removed from his casket-crib. “No therapy bills for daddy” he crooned.

“Don't knock it,” said Kyungsoo, who joined him beside the casket. “You might be able to work through your gay panic with some professional help.”

“I'd be happy to start sessions if you can find someone available during a vampire takeover that takes insurance,” said Jongin. “Besides, I'm already a little gay, so not sure where you keep getting this panic thing from.”

“I just don't want this,” said Kyungsoo, gesturing to Jongin’s crotch, “to be gross or coercive. It's just a shitty situation and we’re both trying our best.”

“I offered my dick up for sucking. Yeah, it's weird and I'm not exactly thrilled about trading jizz for protection, but you're the one who has to put his mouth on my junk, so maybe we should talk about your gay panic,” said Jongin.

“I'm all gay,” said Kyungsoo. “Hence the therapy. It's not super common among Night People. Well, it's not common for us to talk about it. But a foreign car worth of professional help got me to a good place.”

Kyungsoo raised his hands in the air. “I'm gay,” he said loudly while maintaining a totally straight face.

“Noted,” said Jongin.

Baekhyun settled back to sleep in his father’s arms and Jongin reluctantly placed him back in his coffin-crib. He turned back to the couch, walking slowly.

“Could we–” Jongin said, looking around wildly. “Wait! Can we close the lid?”

“I don't know enough about coffins to guarantee he won't suffocate,” said Kyungsoo.

“You don't sleep in one at home?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo punched his upper arm. It barely hurt.

“What about some stuff to prop the lid open while it's mostly closed?” asked Jongin.

“I'm sure we have some bibles or something we can spare,” said Kyungsoo.

After tracking down spare Gideons in a pantry cupboard and installing them as a casket stop, Kyungsoo and Jongin assumed their previous positions on the couch.

Kyungsoo licked his lips and swallowed.

“I should try to make this good for you so each drop is most effective,” said Kyungsoo.

“You'll take every drop?” said Jongin. “I'm holding you to that.”

Kyungsoo looked up from his place on the floor at Jongin’s feet, his eyes large and serious, and nodded.

“Can I...” said Kyungsoo, trailing off.

“Umm, yeah,” said Jongin, wiggling to undo his pants again.

“No, we have to do it right so it works, fully works. If it even works,” said Kyungsoo, placing his hands gently just above Jongin’s knees and running them slowly up his thighs.

Jongin leaned back into the cushions of the couch, trying to block out thoughts of Baekhyun and funeral visitations and blood and fear to focus on the sensation of Kyungsoo’s right hand ghosting over his crotch while reaching for his button.

The button popped open easily, the hole worn from years of use. Jongin looked down, watching as Kyungsoo drew down the zipper once more.

“You don't have to be gentle,” said Jongin.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Kyungsoo.

“Is that dirty talk?” asked Jongin.

“Isn't everything dirty talk when one person is on their knees?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin stayed silent, watching as Kyungsoo tugged at the waistband of his soft jeans to lower them a bit.

“I can get this–” said Jongin.

“No,” said Kyungsoo. “Put your hands behind your back and focus on happy thoughts.”

“Give me something to think about,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo nodded and raised himself until he could more easily grab Jongin’s waistband from the back. He tugged, pulling Jongin slightly down the couch toward the edge until his long legs were able to push back against the floor. The jeans slipped over his ass slowly, resisting all the way, then slid easily over his legs.

Jongin shook his borrowed slippers off and Kyungsoo carefully pulled the pants over his feet.

Kyungsoo folded the jeans and placed them on the floor next to him. When he looked up, the sight was overwhelming. Legs, long and thin and muscular spread on either side of him. Hair grew wildly on Jongin’s calves then thinned to almost smoothness on the inner thighs, which were flexing from holding Jongin’s body in place and perhaps nervousness. His t-shirt, reading “I Rock” with a rocking chair on it, stretched over his pectoral muscles, straining because his hands and forearms were tucked behind his back. Stubble shadowed his upper lip and chin, a reminder of the last twelve breathless hours since the takeover.

Kyungsoo started at his ankles, feeling his way up Jongin’s legs until he reached the inner thighs that caught his attention. He lay his soft cheek against against the left thigh, feeling the smoothness against his face while studying the skin of the right up close. He leaned forward, finding the perfect spot of skin with a small mole in the center, and closed his mouth over it, sucking gently, some combination of a kiss and a light hickey.

Jongin exhaled, controlled but shaky.

Kyungsoo turned to the opposite thigh, now higher so that his head brushed slightly over the swell in Jongin’s briefs, to do the same on an equally delectable patch of skin. Jongin raised the opposite leg to place the foot on the edge of the couch. Kyungsoo saw the way the bulge in his briefs jerked when he focused on it. He looked up to see Jongin watching him intently, his eyes dark.

“Is there anything you like?” asked Kyungsoo. “I should have asked before, but…”

“I like this,” said Jongin. “What you're doing.”

Kyungsoo stared at his briefs, seeming to zone out for a second. He moved forward to nuzzle his nose into them, just below Jongin’s balls, growing accustomed to the musky scent.

Kyungsoo tentatively licked under the leg band of his briefs, still between Jongin’s legs, not making contact with anything in particular, but causing Jongin to almost rock from need for contact. Yet he remained silent, his arms still behind his back.

When Kyungsoo came up for air, he noticed a small wet spot on the front of Jongin’s briefs near the tip of his dick and panicked, taking the fabric and Jongin’s dick beneath it into his mouth to suck up the fluid. Kyungsoo looked up at Jongin with his mouth stuffed.

“Can you,” Jongin fidgeted, “can you take those off?”

Kyungsoo nodded, but kept sucking Jongin’s dick through the briefs while lowering the waistband to expose more of his groomed trail of hair.

“You have to let go of it to take those off,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo allowed Jongin’s dick to slide from his mouth as he swiftly moved to lower the briefs. The elastic tugged on his now firm dick, providing resistance. He looped his thumbs under the band and wiggled them up and then down until they rested on Jongin’s upper thighs.

Kyungsoo looked up at Jongin's face, desperate to avoid looking straight on at his dick for a few more seconds.

Jongin looked back with a soft gaze and parted lips, fidgeting while trying to remove his own underwear without using his hands.

“You don't have to sit like that now,” said Kyungsoo. “You can get your hands out.”

Jongin untucked his hands and made quick work of removing his briefs, careful not to kick Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo reached out a tentative hand toward Jongin’s dick, now resting against his stomach just over the line of groomed hair that led from his navel. He wrapped a hand around the base and gently tugged up.

“Is this the first time you've felt a dick before, Kyungsoo?” asked Jongin laughing.

“Give me a moment,” said Kyungsoo. “I've only ever done this in dark, tight places.” He stared back at the faint mark he had sucked into Jongin’s right thigh.

Jongin leaned down and slid his hand along Kyungsoo’s neck until his thumb reached his ear, which he proceeded to massage as Kyungsoo had once massaged him.

Kyungsoo’s eyes closed and a shiver ran down his back. Jongin used his other hand to brush through Kyungsoo’s styled locks, now drooping from a day of being unwashed, holding the bangs back from his face.

“You're doing so well,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo scooted closer to Jongin and took his dick in hand, watching how drops of precome flowed smoothly from the slit.

“Do you think this has life energy?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Just a little,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo lowered his head to Jongin’s dick, licking his lips to wet them before taking the head into his mouth. He ran his tongue all the way around it with his lips tight on the shaft.

Jongin groaned. Kyungsoo looked up, his eyes huge and his mouth full.

“Can you…” Jongin fidgeted slightly. “Use your hand?”

Kyungsoo removed his mouth and began to stroke the shaft with his hand. It was a little dry compared to Jongin’s usual approach, but it felt strangely good.

“No, both,” said Jongin. “At the same time.”

Kyungsoo lowered his mouth to the head again, still jerking with his hand. He tongued at it gently.

Jongin used the hand once massaging Kyungsoo’s ear to gently guide his head up and down. Kyungsoo began to bob in time with the strokes from his hand. Jongin’s thigh muscles tensed.

“Just keep — that — doing that,” said Jongin, now gripping the couch fabric with both hands.

Kyungsoo’s jaw began to ache, but he continued, his bobs growing sloppy without guidance, but still feeling good to Jongin.

“I'm — it's...I'm–” said Jongin.

He came into Kyungsoo’s mouth. Uncertain of the precise timing of the release and volume of fluid, Kyungsoo attempted to swallow it all down in one go around Jongin’s dick. Drops dribbled down his chin, some dropping onto Jongin’s balls. Kyungsoo’s eyes watered as he attempted to swallow again, frantically trying to save the liquid from waste. He sucked Jongin’s dick clean and allowed it to drop from his mouth.

Jongin looked at him hazily from the cushions.

“Come here, you have some on your face,” said Jongin.

He ran his fingers over Kyungsoo’s chin to gather up the droplets of cum. Kyungsoo saw the cum on Jongin’s fingers and immediately took them into his mouth, sucking with vigor.

“I'm going to get hard again if you do that,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo nodded, still sucking on the fingers, now languidly.

He dropped them from his mouth upon spotting the cum on Jongin’s balls and began licking up the drops that had fallen.

“Are you trying to drain me,” asked Jongin, his dick sluggishly jerking as it attempted to get hard again despite just orgasming.

“Ideally,” said Kyungsoo, his voice a little hoarse.

“I might be able to manage it, but I'm dying of thirst. Is there anything to drink around here?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo hopped up, waddling for a moment as he adjusted his pants, and left the room. Jongin pulled his shirt down to cover himself, but it wouldn't cooperate. He gave up and shifted to lay on the couch with his legs, still bare, extended. He closed his eyes and waited for Kyungsoo to return.

He woke to his left leg being hoisted against the back of the couch and his right leg being moved to the floor.

“Your water is on the floor next to you,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin raised himself on the couch to see what Kyungsoo was doing. His chest was met by a hand that easily pushed him back into the couch cushions.

“Drink up,” said Kyungsoo.

“Are you already stronger?” asked Jongin excitedly.

“Dunno,” said Kyungsoo. “Try it again.”

Jongin raised himself to sitting position again and waited for Kyungsoo to push him down. Kyungsoo got to face level with him and pushed lightly. Jongin collapsed against the cushions.

“Did you collapse on purpose?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Nope, I fully engaged my core that time,” said Jongin.

“Ok, I'm going to suck your dick a lot since this hack seems to work, hope you don't mind,” said Kyungsoo.

“I'm feeling more positive about this takeover,” said Jongin.

“I need you to give me a big load this time,” said Kyungsoo.

“Last time wasn't enough?” asked Jongin.

“More,” said Kyungsoo. “I must have sucked you good because I feel fantastic.”

Jongin shifted against the couch cushions, feeling exposed and open, anticipating what was to happen next.

“Hold still,” said Kyungsoo, leaning down. “I found this in the pantry and I'm going to use it on you.”

“Oh, that sounds promising,” said Jongin, groaning. He shifted to look at what Kyungsoo had in his hands.

“Is that…” said Jongin, “is that holy oil?”

“Oh, huh, I thought it was a salad dressing set, but now that you mention it,” said Kyungsoo, sniffing the bottles. “Yeah, I guess so. Makes sense that a priest might show up and forget part of their costume.”

“Costume isn't how you phrase, uhh, maybe we should return it to them? I don't want to go to hell. What do you plan–” said Jongin.

His back arched and his dick jerked to life again upon feeling Kyungsoo’s oil-slicked fingers slide over his rim.

“We’re sort of already in hell, so might as well use everything we’ve got to climb back out. Is this ok?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Yeah, I’ll try anything at this point,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo didn't push in, just kept stimulating the outside of Jongin’s rim, pushing the leg that was perched on the back of the couch higher so he could open Jongin up more.

Jongin reached down for his own dick, content to jerk himself to get the action started. Kyungsoo batted his hand away.

“I have oil on my other hand, might as well use it so you don't get chaffed,” said Kyungsoo.

“How often are you planning on blowing me?” asked Jongin.

“As much as it takes?” said Kyungsoo.

Wrapping his hand, his grip now stronger, around Jongin’s dick, he set a moderate pace at first to get him fully hard. As the precome flowed again, Kyungsoo leaned down to lick it off, but he didn't linger.

“You went from training wheels to the tour de dick in ten minutes, what the fuck,” said Jongin.

“I’ve always been a fast learner,” said Kyungsoo. “And I've watched a lot of porn, so I have some ideas that came to me while I was in the pantry.”

“Like what?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo grasped Jongin’s dick and moved his head directly over it, but still some distance away. He collected saliva in his mouth, dropping his jaw open to allow it to drizzle from his lips onto the head of Jongin’s dick.

The liquid spread easily and flowed over Kyungsoo’s hand a bit until he jerked Jongin’s dick to distribute it. The liquid made a sticky, wet sound that loudly echoed around the room, an unmistakable sound of sex.

Jongin watched in a trance, his breathing almost frantic as he saw Kyungsoo stop the flow of saliva from his mouth and slowly, carefully suck some back in. He lowered his head as he went until he hovered over the tip of Jongin’s dick. He exhaled hard from his nose and watched how it jerked from the rush of air on the wet surface. Kyungsoo ran his flattened tongue all around the the head, licking and lightly sucking it.

Jongin let out a loud, high-pitched whine.

Kyungsoo removed his wet hand from Jongin’s dick and clamped it over Jongin’s mouth.

“I bet you like making lots of noise so I have to make you quiet to milk your cum,” said Kyungsoo. “I bet you did that on purpose so you can smell your dick on my hand.”

Jongin whined again, wiggling to get attention focused back on his cock.

“I'm going to finger fuck you now,” said Kyungsoo. “You're going to cooperate and give me a big load.”

Jongin nodded, his eyes bright and pupils dilated.

Kyungsoo slicked his fingers up with more oil and slipped one past Jongin’s rim. Slowly he pressed it in and then pumped it in and out.

Jongin bucked, trying to signal to speed things along.

“Are you sure you're ready for this?” asked Kyungsoo, stroking a second finger along Jongin’s minimally stretched rim. “If I give this to you, can you do your best to give me everything you've got?”

Jongin nodded frantically, reaching for his dick to speed things up until a look from Kyungsoo stopped him.

Kyungsoo slowly slipped the second finger in, easing it deeper. He pumped the fingers languidly, letting Jongin get used to the feeling. Jongin began to rock again to signal that he wanted more, so Kyungsoo picked up the pace and began thrusting with a bit more force. Jongin felt pressure beginning to build. He whined.

“Can you come from just my fingers?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin nodded no.

“I bet you can get almost there though,” said Kyungsoo, deliberately slowing the thrusts. “If you can get almost there, I’ll suck you the rest of the way.”

Jongin closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of the strong fingers inside of him, brushing and occasionally pressing on the most sensitive, receptive spots.

He nodded yes.

Precome trickled from his dick and ran down the shaft. Kyungsoo watched a channel of it run down the underside of Jongin’s dick, following the bottom ridge. He needed a taste of it again and sucked the ridge from the base to the tip of Jongin’s dick. He sensed from Jongin’s breathing that he was getting close. He removed his hand from Jongin’s mouth and loosely circled his dick.

“Harder,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo thrust his fingers harder and tightened his grip.

“You do like it rough, don't you?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin panted, his eyes unfocused.

Kyungsoo’s fingers slid against the pressure that had built to overwhelming levels in Jongin and the dam began to break.

“I'm–” said Jongin, and Kyungsoo sucked the head of Jongin’s dick into his mouth, sucking just enough to set off a flow of cum that he swallowed down carefully this time, gently stroking Jongin from the inside to draw out more and more.

Jongin’s hands came down to move Kyungsoo away once his orgasm was over.

“It's too good, it hurts,” he said, a whine in his voice.

Kyungsoo retreated to the opposite side of the couch, his posture became hunched and he shifted his pants around to make his own arousal less obvious.

“Thank you,” said Jongin weakly.

“Is it just automatic that you say that?” asked Kyungsoo. “That seems a bit weird given the circumstances.”

“It's not for sucking my dick,” said Jongin tiredly. “It's for somehow knowing what I want, even things I've never asked anyone for.”

“You must be feeling cold and sticky,” said Kyungsoo, anxious to change the subject. “There should be some sort of shower and maybe a change of clothes somewhere. I can watch the baby while you wash off.”

“Let me pull myself together for a moment,” said Jongin. “I think I'll fall over if I try to stand up now.”

“That good?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin just hummed, smiling while draping his jeans over his lap and collapsing back into the cushions with his eyes closed.

“I’ll run out for the formula and some food now then,” said Kyungsoo.

“Diapers, too, if you can,” said Jongin, already drifting back to sleep.

“I know,” said Kyungsoo.

\--

A slamming door woke Jongin.

He pulled on his pants and walked over to see that Baekhyun was safe in his casket. He was awake, quietly fidgeting about on his back against the plush lining. Jongin lifted him from the makeshift crib.

“You're so quiet and content since Kyungsoo showed up,” said Jongin, “you're making daddy feel bad. Grandma and grandpa send their love, they're ok.”

Baekhyun just blew bubbles and snuggled into his neck.

“I should change your diaper, you're stinky,” said Jongin.

“We’re all kind of stinky,” said Kyungsoo, turning the corner to the showroom. In his hands were bags of groceries and on his left cheekbone was a red bruise turning purple at the outside edges.

“What happened at the store?” asked Jongin.

“Not what I expected,” said Kyungsoo. “Let me put these down.”

He removed baby supplies from the bags and placed them next to Jongin’s backpack and then walked back to the pantry with the remaining groceries. Jongin followed.

“Electronic payments are up,” said Kyungsoo. “They went down shortly, but I'm guessing that throwing the country into greater chaos isn't conducive to transitioning to ruling it easily.”

“So how did you get that prize?” asked Jongin, gesturing to his bruise.

“The lines at the store were insane and everyone was fighting for food because employees don't want to leave their houses to come to work,” said Kyungsoo. “It was just the family that owns the store doing everything with no help.”

“So you weren't injured by a Night Person but a guy at the grocery store?” asked Jongin.

“Women,” corrected Kyungsoo. “Do not come between ajummas and food, they will beat the shit out of you.”

“How did you get away?” asked Jongin.

“I said that I was caring for an orphan and reminded these ladies of the falling birth rate in this country,” said Kyungsoo. “Like true patriots, they helped me with everything from that point forward.”

“An orphan, never!” said Jongin, cradling Baekhyun. “Not while I'm a human jizz dispenser at least.”

“Come now, respect yourself,” said Kyungsoo. “You're a seminal fountain.”

Kyungsoo smiled at Baekhyun and unpacked the groceries.

“What are you making?” asked Jongin, surveying the ingredients.

“Doenjang jjiggae,” said Kyungsoo, turning on a hot plate with a stone bowl on top.

“You cook?” asked Jongin. “Like, really cook?”

“I know a few dishes,” said Kyungsoo. He washed rice and turned on the rice cooker.

“I've never used one of these before, I hope that's right,” said Kyungsoo. He began methodically slicing ingredients.

“I don't think that Western funeral homes have rice cookers,” said Jongin.

“We’re ‘Western-style’,” said Kyungsoo, “not slavishly copying. Can you imagine mourners without proper food and drink? We'd be out of business in a week.”

Jongin went to change Baekhyun in the other room, then came back to the start of a bubbling stew on the hot plate.

“Where did you learn how to make soybean stew?” asked Jongin.

“My mother,” said Kyungsoo. “She has a very precise way of making it, and I have to make it that way or else it doesn't taste right. How spicy do you like food?”

“I'm fine with a normal amount,” said Jongin, mixing up a bottle of formula for Baekhyun.

“Microwave is right over there,” said Kyungsoo. “I won't even charge you for a burial to use it.”

Jongin laughed and then remembered the cafe attendant’s body as it slid down to the floor. The smile slid from his face.

Kyungsoo took the bottle from Jongin’s hand and placed it in the microwave wordlessly.

“Can I help you with…” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo nodded no. He removed the bottle from the microwave and tested the milk against his wrist before turning to hold the bottle for Baekhyun to drink from while the baby remained in Jongin’s arms.

After a few moments, Kyungsoo realized that scene looked far too cozy given the circumstances. He handed the bottle to Jongin and turned back to the stove, his shoulders hunching.

“Thank you for going to the store to get stuff,” said Jongin.

“It was nothing,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin wanted to reach out and run his fingers down Kyungsoo’s spine until the tired bend in his back straightened. Instead he shuffled closer and leaned his forehead against the back of Kyungsoo’s head.

“Is this ok?” asked Jongin.

“What is this?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Just this,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo stilled, editing his movements down to only those necessary so as not to break the connection.

“I don’t think I’ll ever sleep right again,” said Jongin, his breath coming out in a puff that hit the back of Kyungsoo’s neck, causing him to shiver slightly.

“You seemed to be sleeping fine when I left you,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin giggled, drawing back. “When I’m not getting drained of my ‘life energy’ on the regular, that’s when I’ll not be able to sleep, I guess,” he said.

The logical solution to the problem hung in the air.

“I think there are some bowls somewhere,” said Kyungsoo upon hearing the rice cooker beep.

Jongin balanced baby Baekhyun on his lap while he and Kyungsoo awkwardly ate bowls of stew and rice on the couch. As Jongin scraped his bowl Kyungsoo looked over.

“Was it good?” asked Kyungsoo.

“It was amazing,” said Jongin, his eyes looking over at Kyungsoo shyly. “Thank you.”

“We should clean up,” said Kyungsoo. “I suspect that showers are located in the basement.”

\--

Jongin woke to the sound of something shuffling next to him and tiny grunts. At first he was scared that Baekhyun had somehow escaped his casket and started crawling overnight.

It took Jongin a moment in the dark, his eyes adjusting, to see what was going on. Kyungsoo was sleeping while sitting up, and he fidgeted unconsciously.

The cause of the fidgeting was difficult to ascertain at first and then obvious. His hand landed on his zipper and lightly rubbed without coordination on the tent in his trousers.

Jongin realized that the guy had been hard, on and off, for about a day now. He expected that Kyungsoo would take a moment to relieve himself in the bathroom like any other sane man, but a sane person wouldn't probably agree to protect a guy and his loud kid after getting kicked down by him on a train.

He scooted over to Kyungsoo, gently shaking his shoulder.

“Hey,” he said. “Wake up.”

“Mmm,” hummed Kyungsoo.

“You can use me,” said Jongin.

“For what?” said Kyungsoo quietly, his voice cracking due to just waking up.

“To take care of your problem,” said Jongin.

“My — oh,” said Kyungsoo. “I'm fine, I’ll deal with it later.”

“It's ok,” said Jongin. “Come here.” He opened his arms and spread his legs to make room for Kyungsoo.

“What's this going to solve?” said Kyungsoo. “I can't absorb anything from you like this.”

“Just come here,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo carefully crawled over Jongin. Jongin wrapped his long legs around Kyungsoo and lifted his hips to press their clothed dicks together.

Kyungsoo’s arms gave out after the second rock, not due to a lack of strength anymore, but due to being uncomfortable with being so close to Jongin’s face. It otherwise felt too much like something it wasn't. Kyungsoo rested his head on Jongin’s shoulder, his bruised cheek in the air, and let his hips work down automatically.

“Do you want me to touch you?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo nodded yes and took Jongin’s hand in his so he wouldn't have to say anything in response, directing it below his waistband and leaving it in the vicinity of his dick.

Jongin found his dick and formed a loose hold so Kyungsoo could thrust into it. His other hand held Kyungsoo’s hip and helped him remain steady so as to avoid toppling off the narrow couch.

Kyungsoo panted against the skin on Jongin’s neck, turning it dewy.

Jongin shifted his hand to hold Kyungsoo’s ass.

“I'm so hard and I need to come, but I'm scared that if I orgasm, all the energy I picked up from you will leave me,” said Kyungsoo, the words tumbling out quickly.

“Is that why you didn't take care of this before?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo nodded against his neck.

Jongin pressed his lips to the top of Kyungsoo's head, hoping he didn't feel the gesture, but maybe also hoping he did.

“It's ok, I’ll just refill you,” said Jongin.

“Can you touch me under…” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin slid his hand along Kyungsoo’s bare ass, groping a cheek and then using his fingers to spread both cheeks before running a dry digit over the hole. Kyungsoo shuddered.

“Can you put it in?” asked Kyungsoo. “I just want a little...”

Jongin spread the tight pucker with his index and ring fingers, until he could ease the tip of his middle finger in.

“Is that ok?” asked Jongin.

“Oh god yes,” said Kyungsoo, raising himself by his hands again to gain leverage for thrusting down into Jongin’s fist. “I'm almost–”

“Just come, Soo,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo spasmed around Jongin’s finger and shot his load. As he came, Jongin removed the finger from his hole to increase the stimulation, and Kyungsoo’s body contracted with pleasure, causing his arms to give out again.

Kyungsoo stayed on top of Jongin, their bodies rising and falling as they tried to catch their breaths. Jongin was half-hard in his pants, but felt no need for release after the morning’s goal-oriented drainings. Retracting his hands, Jongin tentatively circled them around Kyungsoo’s waist. He didn't protest, just opened his mouth against Jongin’s neck and allowed his top teeth to rest against the skin.

\--

When Kyungsoo woke up in the morning, it was his turn to panic. Jongin wasn't on the couch with him, but what really shocked him was that Baekhyun wasn't in his casket.

He went into the pantry, down into the processing area and showers, even looked in the parking lot behind the funeral home. Nothing.

Kyungsoo began to panic, wondering if Jongin had been snatched literally right from under him as he slept. He stopped looking for people in the funeral home and started looking for blood.

After 45 minutes of panicked searching, Kyungsoo realized that Jongin’s backpack, which served as his luggage and diaper bag was gone. A power bar was missing from the newly bought box in the pantry. The formula and diapers were gone.

There was no way around it: Kyungsoo had been had. Jongin had used him for protection while he was necessary and then took off the first moment he could.

Kyungsoo slammed the pantry doors after confirming that there was nothing hiding inside that might help him find Jongin and Baekhyun. One rattled so much it's hinge broke. He walked into the showroom and kicked at the couch where he'd spent two nights beside, and finally on Jongin. The top corner of the couch punched a hole in the showroom wall.

After the rage of betrayal passed, Kyungsoo’s fear returned, now mingled with hurt. He couldn't understand what he'd done to Jongin to make him run away so unexpectedly. Was it the late night rutting? Except Jongin had encouraged it, hadn't he?

He knew why so many Night People never bothered much with sex — it was much too messy, in every sense, he thought while scrubbing dried cum off himself in the shower. Kyungsoo's brain raced and an ache bloomed around his diaphragm, wrapping up his esophagus.

A thought occurred to Kyungsoo. There was something he hadn't told Jongin that he needed to know. He had to find him. And there was only one person who could help.

\--

The sound of bass from the parking lot announced his arrival. Kyungsoo would usually groan, but on this day his lips curled into a reluctant smile.

“I don't know what's going on, but chi-mak can fix it,” said his brother, Do Sehun, better known on SNS as Oh!Sehun. Once a social media whiz kid, he turned techbro investor after barely graduating from Seoul University and proceeded to turn a small, reluctant investment from their parents into a fortune in just two years. Sehun opened the door to the backseat and pulled out a giant plastic Goobne Chicken bag and a cube of Hite. He opened the door on the passenger side and picked up a white Bichon from the seat.

“How did you get this truck through to me?” asked Kyungsoo, slapping the hood of the old Mercedes SUV Sehun had bought from a collector in Japan due to it once appearing in a Lil’ Kim music video.

“I've lived and worked around Night People long enough to get what needs to be done done,” said Sehun. “Some Night People guarding the exit from Seoul near my office now have a lot more SNS followers than they did before they encountered me.” His eyes and smile turned to crescents upon finally seeing his older brother.

“What's wrong?” asked Sehun, his face falling after seeing Kyungsoo’s expression.

“Nothing,” said Kyungsoo. “I just need to find someone and then get the fuck out of here.”

“Has someone been bothering you?” asked Sehun. “What's that bruise from?”

“No, nothing crazy,” said Kyungsoo, opening the back door to the funeral home for his brother and his brother’s dog. “I ran into someone while getting some groceries yesterday, but it turned out fine.”

“Groceries?” asked Sehun. “You don't really cook these days, why were you getting groceries?”

“Because I wanted to cook,” said Kyungsoo.

“Remember when you refused to drink blood in the second half of middle school and all of high school?” asked Sehun. “And you just made beet smoothies instead? Your vegan phase. That was the last time you cooked regularly. No wonder you're so tiny, I bet you'd have been the same size as the rest of the fam if you'd sucked bags like everyone else except me back then.”

“I don't get how you're not even a Night Person and you ended up so huge,” said Kyungsoo.

“8g fat milk, all day every day,” said Sehun.

“Blood isn't like milk. Involuntary blood like what we bag here is disgusting,” said Kyungsoo.

“There's a difference in bloods?” asked Sehun.

“Yeah,” said Kyungsoo.

“How do you know?” asked Sehun.

“I guessed,” said Kyungsoo.

“Did you confirm?” asked Sehun.

Kyungsoo nodded.

“You sucked someone?” asked Sehun.

Kyungsoo nodded again.

“I need to open a can and process this shit, bro,” said Sehun. “Do mom and dad know?”

“Fuck no,” said Kyungsoo. “What am I going to do, call them up and say ‘hey I stuck my teeth in someone’s neck also they have a kid’ that would go over well.”

“Wait, you actually know this person?” asked Sehun, handing Kyungsoo a beer.

“Sort of,” said Kyungsoo. “I guess.”

“What does them having a kid have to do with anything?” asked Sehun. “Plenty of people have kids.”

“They might not...like…that I’m taking energy from someone who needs it to take care of their progeny,” said Kyungsoo, grasping for the reason he mentioned it.

“Does that honestly sound like mom and dad?” asked Sehun.

“No, you're right, not really,” said Kyungsoo.

“Should we sit down on the couch over there?” asked Sehun, gesturing to the couch in the showroom.

“No!” said Kyungsoo, seeing his life flash before his eyes.

“Ok. We can eat in the pantry, I guess,” said Sehun.

“Yeah, sounds perfect,” said Kyungsoo.

They placed the chicken and beer on the counter and hovered over it while eating.

“So who do you need to find?” asked Sehun.

Kyungsoo coughed and his eyes watered.

“This volcano chicken is pretty spicy,” said Kyungsoo.

“You've never had a problem with spicy food before. You and mom love it,” said Sehun.

“How would you go about finding someone who left this place unexpectedly?” asked Kyungsoo, changing the subject.

“Call them on their phone,” said Sehun.

“Oh, that would make sense,” said Kyungsoo. “How about if you didn't have their number?”

“I dunno, try to follow some clues and locate them?” asked Sehun.

“What,” said Kyungsoo, laughing.

“You're right,” said Sehun. “I'm just making shit up. I'd honestly probably hire a private detective or something. Or let it go.”

“Ok, I need a private detective then,” said Kyungsoo, cracking open another beer. “How do we find one in the middle of societal breakdown?”

“Well, hold up,” said Sehun. “Are you sure they want to be found?”

“I dunno,” said Kyungsoo, slumping against the counter and taking a long drink. “But I need to tell this person something. Then I can bail.”

“You'll come back to Seoul with me once you're finished?” asked Sehun.

“Yeah, I’ll go back with you once I dump this info,” said Kyungsoo.

“I bet Vivi could help with finding the person,” said Sehun.

Kyungsoo looked skeptically at the Bichon, who refused to do anything when asked.

“What could she do?” asked Kyungsoo, opening yet another can.

“Vivi is a boy, thank you very much,” said Sehun.

“Sorry, Vivi,” said Kyungsoo. “Little...littlest...bro.”

“Dogs can sniff things and then follow the scent,” said Sehun. “Vivi is just a baby, but he's very smart.”

“Yeah, but I don't have anything that smells like...this person here,” said Kyungsoo.

“I'm sure something does,” said Sehun.

Kyungsoo turned, beer in hand and scanned the space, hoping some overlooked forgotten item might bear Jongin’s scent. He wandered into the showroom and flopped on the couch. Then hopped back up after thinking about last night.

“Oh,” said Kyungsoo. “Here. Vivi come sniff this couch.”

“Why is Vivi sniffling a couch?” said Sehun. “Tons of people have sat on it. You need something more specific.”

“No, trust me, this is specific,” said Kyungsoo.

“How would a person leave their scent on a routinely used couch well enough for my untrained son to find them?” asked Sehun.

“Don't ask,” said Kyungsoo.

“Did someone get drunk and piss on the couch?” asked Sehun, his lips forming a straight line.

“Where the hell are you even getting an idea like that!” said Kyungsoo.

“I'd ask if you defiled the couch at the Chuncheon branch showroom, but I know you,” said Sehun.

“Can Vivi just get to sniffing?” asked Kyungsoo, turning away to hide his face

Sehun led Vivi to the couch and pointed to the nearest cushion. He glanced at the couch and then sat down next to the casket, staring obstinately at Sehun.

“Well, fuck, maybe I should try the private investigator,” said Kyungsoo.

“I think you're rushing him,” said Sehun. “We should have more beers and see what he does.”

Exactly how Kyungsoo and Sehun — led by Vivi on his leash — came to be stumbling down the streets of Chuncheon at night during a vampire takeover was fuzzy to them when they tried to remember it. Sehun had a hazy recollection of Kyungsoo punching the couch and Kyungsoo thought he had seen Vivi finally approach the cushion he had thrown off in a rage to sniff it.

“You’re so angry, bro,” said Sehun. “You’re never angry. Why are you angry?”

“You know when you’re close to something and you almost get it and then it leaves in the middle of the night without saying anything?” asked Kyungsoo.

“That sounds like a person, not a thing, man,” said Sehun.

“My capri sun took off,” said Kyungsoo sadly. “Capri sunshine. Capri pants. Capri, island in the Tyrrhenian Sea.”

“I never thought I’d see you this worked up about a missing juice box,” said Sehun.

“Juice pouch,” said Kyungsoo.

“Anyway, how can a juice pouch walk off, does it have legs?” asked Sehun as they passed 7-Eleven.

“Does it ever,” said Kyungsoo.

“We should go to the Buddhist temple here,” said Sehun.

“There’s a temple?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Yeah, it’s,” Sehun spun around, “in the mountains somewhere. I bet the ferry isn’t running right now, but we could probably swim.”

“How did you know about that?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Audio travel books, man,” said Sehun. “Expand your universe.”

“How far are we from the funeral home?” asked Kyungsoo.

“I dunno, I’ve been letting Vivi lead the way,” said Sehun.

Vivi paused outside a building.

“I bet Vivi has to pee,” said Sehun.

“To be honest, I have to pee,” said Kyungsoo.

“I bet this place would let you use their bathroom,” said Sehun. “Just tell them that you’re the nicest Night Person ever because true and don’t like to whip your dick out in public like every other dude.”

Kyungsoo saw light coming from inside the closed business and began uncoordinatedly banging on the front door.

“A tanning salon, how weird,” said Sehun, reading the sign.

“Let me in,” said Kyungsoo, pulling on the door until it was forced open. “Oops, this door seems to have been open, going in.”

He walked into the tanning salon, toward a glowing light from within.

“Hi, I'm just going to use your bathroom, ok, thanks,” said Kyungsoo quietly into the darkness.

He found the bathroom and used it quickly. As he washed his hands, he knocked over a disassembled baby bottle.

“I'm sorry,” said Kyungsoo to the bottle, fumbling to rearrange it.

Kyungsoo walked back out to the main room. As he was about to leave he heard a gurgling or sputtering sound from closer to the light. He walked toward it and found himself in front of a tanning bed.

The logical thing to do would be to get the fuck out, but Kyungsoo was not logical, he was drunk, so he reached for the edge of the tanning bed and lifted the lid.

There, inside the tanning bed, was his sleeping juice pouch and his juice pouch’s son, who appeared to be entertaining himself by making motorbike sounds.

“Are you fucking exposing Baekhyun to UV rays?!” screamed Kyungsoo, snatching the baby from Jongin’s arms.

Jongin jerked awake and clutched his chest while squinting at Kyungsoo.

“Oh, hey,” said Jongin.

“Oh, hey,” replied Kyungsoo sarcastically.

“How did you find us?” asked Jongin.

“I came in because I had to pee,” said Kyungsoo. “Don't take it personally and get weird.”

“I...won't,” said Jongin.

“If you took Baekhyun just to kill him, you could have left him at the funeral home so I could raise him,” said Kyungsoo, bouncing the baby on his hip.

“What's this about killing my son?” asked Jongin. “I'm protecting him.”

“You can't stick babies in tanning beds, that's insane!” said Kyungsoo. “It’s textbook abuse.”

“For your information, we’re sleeping in a tanning bed with a regular light inside,” said Jongin, pointing to a reading light shining near his feet.

“Why?” asked Kyungsoo.

“I thought that maybe the lit tanning bed would have a force field around it so nobody would raisin us while we sleep,” said Jongin.

“Did you miss the part where we have sunscreen now?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Yeah, but maybe the sight of the bed and the light would be triggering for Night People?” said Jongin.

“Honestly, fakeass spray tans are scarier these days, just orange up and sleep in a spray booth and you might stand a chance,” said Kyungsoo.

“Anyway, thanks for the baby,” said Kyungsoo. “Peace.”

“Hold up!” said Jongin, scrambling out of the tanning bed. “What the fuck?”

“There are two pieces of information that you don't know that you probably should,” said Kyungsoo. “The first is that your kid is a Night Person.”

Jongin swayed, glancing between Kyungsoo and Baekhyun in his arms.

“No he's not. Even if he were, how would you know what his own father doesn't?” asked Jongin, his face slack.

“That’s the second piece of information: he was on a list of Night People. Did you never think that it was weird that I was on that train and had nothing to occupy my time except help you two out?” asked Kyungsoo.

“I was just trying to stay alive,” said Jongin. “I didn't think too hard beyond that.”

“I was sent to collect him so he can be raised by Night People, since his mother gave him up,” said Kyungsoo.

“What does she have to do with this?” asked Jongin, his voice tiny.

“She's a Night Person, obviously, one of you would have to be to make him,” said Kyungsoo. “If he had stayed with her, I could have remained at my apartment in Seoul rather than traveling to grab your kid the moment the takeover started. Anyway, no harm done, he will be placed with a good family and grow up well sunscreened.”

“I put plenty of sunscreen on him,” said Jongin. “He's a baby after all. Is this what this is about? SPF?”

“No, this is about Day People being untrustworthy,” said Kyungsoo.

“Says someone who lied to me,” said Jongin.

“I never lied to you,” said Kyungsoo.

“You kept things from me,” said Jongin.

“That I can admit to,” said Kyungsoo.

“Why am I still alive?” asked Jongin.

“I needed someone to take care of the baby,” said Kyungsoo. “I certainly didn't want to have to care for him all that way.”

Jongin reached out for Baekhyun’s foot, his face ashen.

“Put him somewhere safe,” said Jongin in a small voice.

“Why?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Because we need to fight until one of us dies,” said Jongin.

“Fine,” said Kyungsoo. He moved to put Baekhyun back in the tanning bed.

“Soo-yah, Vivi wants to go home!” yelled Sehun. “Wrap up the world’s longest dump and let’s roll out.”

Through the door burst the Bichon, making a beeline for Jongin.

“We should head back,” said Sehun, following his dog into the room. He paused and his mouth dropped when he spotted Vivi, his face planted in Jongin’s jeans, right in his crotch.

Baekhyun began crying, breaking the silence.

Jongin ran to his son, blubbering into his stomach.

“What the fuck is going on here, man?” asked Sehun.

“I'm taking this kid,” said Kyungsoo.

“You're not taking shit other than a nap to sleep off the booze, what the fuck is wrong with you?” asked Sehun.

“He has Baekhyun on a list of Night Babies and he's stealing him,” choked out Jongin. “Who are you?”

“Night People don't keep lists since the North hacked an early registry attempt in the 90s,” said Sehun. “That would make it way too easy for them to be rounded up and exterminated.”

“You lied about taking my kid?” asked Jongin.

“Ok, I lied about the list, but I'm taking Baekhyun,” said Kyungsoo.

“You sloppy drunk, shut up and let poor tanning salon proprietor-nim get some rest,” said Sehun. “We are not taking your kid. Nobody is taking kids! Kyungsoo can't keep a cactus alive, for fucks sake. We’re leaving, we’re leaving.”

“That cactus died during my exams, I was a bit preoccupied! Anyway, this is my bloodbag,” said Kyungsoo. “Bloodbag meet Sehun, Sehun, bloodbag.”

Sehun’s eyes widened.

“You're the suckee?” asked Sehun. “The suckee with a kid?”

“Holy fuck, Kyungsoo, I thought you were a prude, you told him about that?” screeched Jongin.

“I'm talking about sucking blood, what's there to be prudish — oh my god!” yelled Sehun. “Kyungsoo!”

Kyungsoo stood very still with his eyes wide.

“I–” he said, then leaned over and vomited into the tanning bed where Jongin had been sleeping.

\--

How Sehun convinced Jongin to pack up his belongings and move back into the funeral home Kyungsoo didn't know. Part of it no doubt had to do with the fact that his tanning bed was in bad shape. But there were others in the salon, so that couldn't be it. Maybe Sehun had boosted Jongin’s social media followers to convince him. But Kyungsoo seriously doubted that Jongin even had a social media account. All Kyungsoo knew was that by the time he reemerged from the bathroom after emptying the rest of his stomach and rinsing his mouth, Jongin was packed and staring at the wall with a stony face while trying to get Baekhyun to stop wailing.

“Give the baby to me,” said Kyungsoo.

“No way,” said Jongin. “You'll probably poof off with him.”

“Says the person who poofed off this morning without a word,” said Kyungsoo.

“Someone hold Vivi’s leash, I’ll hold the baby,” said Sehun.

“No,” said Kyungsoo and Jongin together.

“Kyungsoo walk in front, Bloodbag and Night Baby in the back,” said Sehun. “Separate.”

“No, Bloodbag has to be next to me for protection,” said Kyungsoo.

“Bloodbag took off on you, so I don't think he wants your protection, Soo,” said Sehun.

“I just want some chicken,” said Jongin. “Then I'm going to my parents’ in Incheon. I'm not poofing off until I have chicken.”

“You're seriously coming back to the funeral home for chicken?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Don't judge, I really like chicken,” said Jongin.

They fell into step beside each other, Sehun and Vivi following.

“How are you getting to your parents’ house?” asked Kyungsoo.

“He said he'd drive me,” said Jongin, gesturing to Sehun.

“Sehun?” asked Kyungsoo. “How is Sehun going to get you there?”

“I'm guessing he has a car?” asked Jongin.

“But he's not even a Night Person, he can't actually protect you,” said Kyungsoo.

“He made it here, it seems like he's perfectly capable,” said Jongin. “Who is he anyway?”

“Younger brother,” said Kyungsoo.

“You're siblings? Blood siblings?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo nodded.

“You were lying about Baekhyun being on a list,” said Jongin. “What about him being one of you?”

“Baekhyun is a Night Person. I suspected as much when I first saw him, but I confirmed it after a few hours,” said Kyungsoo.

“How do you know?” asked Jongin.

“UV meter attachment for my phone,” said Kyungsoo. “It measures sunscreen protection and natural SPF. Your kid falls within Night Person natural SPF range for babies. As in he has virtually none. A doctor can confirm, but it's 97.2% accurate if you know what you're doing. I know what I’m doing.”

“I'm relieved,” said Jongin.

“Why would you be relieved about that?” asked Kyungsoo. “We’re descendants of cannibals and apparently prone to going crazy when we’re allowed to live and suck openly. It's a curse.”

“Yeah, that's fairly troubling, but I just want my kid to live,” said Jongin. “Forget everything else. I need him to survive.”

“Survival is overrated,” said Kyungsoo. “Maybe it will be different because we're in the open now, but I just felt grotesque growing up.”

“But you're really normal,” said Jongin.

“I'm really not,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin looked over at Kyungsoo, his face drawn and slightly green tinged from being ill after drinking. His face had no lines: none from joy or sadness, it was blank. He was a tabula rasa ready for carving, but Jongin already felt so carved up inside from their brief acquaintance that he looked away and vowed to get away again soon.

Kyungsoo stopped suddenly.

“Hold up,” he said. Vivi and Sehun kept waking and almost bumped into him.

“Bro, why you gotta set a pick like that,” said Sehun.

“Get closer,” said Kyungsoo. “I hear people.”

There were people somewhere nearby, their voices echoing off buildings in the otherwise silent city, making it hard to determine where they were located. Kyungsoo surveyed the nearby area.

“You two take Vivi and Baek and get in that playground equipment and hide,” said Kyungsoo.

“They're going to make noise,” said Jongin. “You should let us help you.”

“No, I think I'll be fine,” said Kyungsoo. “If it comes to that, hold Vivi for Sehunnie so he can join me, he’s bigger than you.”

Jongin nodded and began to climb into a playscape with one hand, his other cradling Baekhyun. Sehun concealed himself near the base of the structure with Vivi. Kyungsoo ducked into the shadows near a tree at the entrance to the park.

Jongin focused on keeping Baekhyun occupied, shifting him around quietly and humming songs by the Weeknd.

He listened intently at first, but eventually zoned out and just traced Baekhyun's eyebrows and his pointy little chin. He ran his index finger down Baekhyun’s smushy little baby nose and triangle mouth and wondered what it would look like when he grew up.

“Jongin, we need to go,” said Sehun, whispering through the boards of the playscape.

Jongin descended again.

“I'm going to go pick up Soo, you stay here with Vivi and try to walk him back once I return,” said Sehun.

“What happened?” asked Jongin.

But Sehun was already off.

When he returned, Kyungsoo was on his back, piggyback style.

“Did Kyungsoo get drunk again,” said Jongin. “This is very drama-esque.”

“No,” said Sehun. “Let’s start walking, lead the way.”

Jongin started walking in the direction Sehun had indicated.

“What happened?” asked Jongin, throwing the question over his shoulder.

“I didn't see it well, but Soo must have had a run-in with the people he heard coming,” said Sehun.

“I didn't think anything would happen, to be honest,” said Jongin.

“Neither did I — or else I wouldn't have let him stand alone,” said Sehun.

“How did you find him?” asked Jongin.

“He was standing up and a guy was running off, another was on the ground. When he saw me he stumbled,” said Sehun.

“Were they Night People?” asked Jongin.

“Not much difference if they fought Soo, it's not like they could effectively suck him,” said Sehun.

“Fuck fuck fuck,” said Jongin.

“I can hear you,” said Kyungsoo. “And if I can hear you, your kid can hear you.”

The group rounded the corner and the funeral home was in sight at last.

“What happened?” asked Jongin as he opened the door.

“Two guys, not sure if they were Night or Day, were looking to rob people or loot empty businesses, I guess,” said Kyungsoo.

“Did they hurt you?” asked Jongin.

“No, they didn't get a hand on me,” said Kyungsoo. “I got hands on them, though.”

“So why are you riding?” asked Jongin as Sehun lowered Kyungsoo onto the couch in the showroom.

“Blood and,” Kyungsoo glanced at Sehun, “other life-giving fluids don't make you stronger. They temporarily tell your brain to stop limiting how much your muscles can do. You know how parents have been known to pull cars off their kids in emergencies?”

“I've seen some viral videos,” said Jongin.

“Yeah, the reason our bodies don't do that all the time is because your muscles would get torn and you'd run out of energy. Blood and stuff tells the brain to allow Night People to manually override when it's time to fight,” said Kyungsoo.

“So you're drained,” said Jongin.

“Yup,” said Kyungsoo, his head flopping back. “And kind of hungover.”

“I’m sorry you had to–” said Jongin, standing nearby with Baekhyun still in his arms.

“This is my job, isn’t it?” asked Kyungsoo.

“I guess,” said Jongin. “My job is to recharge you, so…”

“Kyungsoo can have my blood,” said Sehun, sitting down next to him.

“Isn’t that a bit…” said Jongin.

Sehun and Kyungsoo looked up at him simultaneously.

“Dude, don’t make it sound weird, I’m just helping my hyung out, damn,” said Sehun.

Sehun rolled up his sleeve to reveal his wrist.

“That’s not how you–” said Jongin, as Kyungsoo lowered his head to the skin and sank his teeth in.

Sehun gritted his teeth and struggled to remain upright, but Jongin’s eyes watched only Kyungsoo. Jongin backed away from the couch, back until he bumped into Baekhyun’s coffin, still open from when he had plucked him out in the middle of the night to leave.

Jongin sat on the floor, his eyes never leaving Kyungsoo’s lips on Sehun’s wrist. Eventually Kyungsoo looked up while remaining latched on and looked right at him. Kyungsoo didn’t look away from that point forward, his eyes remaining locked on Jongin.

Questions ran through Jongin’s mind, but he couldn’t differentiate them. His head was filled with a low whine of anguish at seeing Kyungsoo drink from someone who wasn’t him. This hurt too much, this feeling of want and connection in a world that seemed intent on killing him. He needed to leave again soon — and actually get away this time.

Kyungsoo disconnected from Sehun neatly, licking the wounds closed.

“Fuck, have you been partying all the time or something?” asked Kyungsoo, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Jongin filled with warmth at the idea Sehun’s blood was somehow unsatisfactory.

“I’m a normal, single guy living in Seoul, I have a life?” said Sehun.

“You’re kind of disgusting,” said Kyungsoo.

“Fine, let that be the first and last time I bail your ass out with my bodily fluids,” said Sehun. “I was just trying to do you a favor so you wouldn’t have to suck bags or Bloodbag. Shit is obviously real weird between you two right now.”

Jongin redirected his eyes to the floor.

“Please, like I didn’t see you two eyefucking just now, have some consideration,” said Sehun, rubbing his healed wrist.

Jongin and Kyungsoo made faces to scoff at the accusation.

“Whatever, Jongin, join Soo on the couch so you can both have some chicken. I don’t feel like trying to round up plates in the middle of a takeover, so just eat out of one box,” said Sehun.

Jongin silently rose, awkwardly due to carrying Baekhyun, and settled into the couch, on the farthest cushion away from Kyungsoo. He smoothed Baekhyun’s baby hairs around his ears to avoid making eye contact with Kyungsoo again.

“Here’s the chicken, eat up,” said Sehun, tossing the box between Kyungsoo and Jongin.

“How did you get this chicken in the middle of everything?” asked Jongin, genuinely impressed and also wanting to not talk to Kyungsoo.

“Goobne was a sponsor for my Instagram account while I was doing that seriously,” said Sehun. “I still stay in contact with their PR. Do you have SNS profiles?”

“No,” said Jongin, “I had to set one up for work at one point to show off a few routines for a concept we were promoting, but I’m confused about how it works. I couldn’t even figure out how to delete my account on my own and had to ask my manager at work. It was embarrassing.”

“You sound like Kyungsoo,” said Sehun. “The last person to join anything new. I’m surprised he isn’t still on a flip phone.”

“I would have kept my flip phone except the UV meter thing was too tempting. I basically owe apps what normalcy my life had prior to the release of SSSB,” said Kyungsoo.

“Kyungsoo says this as if he wasn’t the golden child growing up,” said Sehun.

“To parents!” said Kyungsoo. “With other kids I was...not normal, not cool.”

“What about you, Jongin?” asked Sehun.

“Ahh, in school?” asked Jongin. “I loved school. I was a dancer all the way until my senior year and I performed in all the musicals and talent shows. It was fun.”

Kyungsoo snorted.

“But you’re not a dancer now?” asked Sehun.

“No, I had a lower back injury that kept coming back over and over,” said Jongin. “It kind of killed the dream, but while I was in physical therapy I discovered exercise management and fitness instruction and that became my passion.”

“Jongin teaches people how to do outdated fitness videos,” said Kyungsoo while tearing into a wing.

Jongin giggled. “We do retro workout nights where participants come in era-appropriate fitness gear and do old workouts.”

“What do you do to maintain your own body?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Honestly, just weights outside of all the cardio I do while leading classes,” said Jongin.

“Maybe when all this is over you can show me what to do,” said Kyungsoo. “I’ve always wanted to work out, but even the small gym in my building is intimidating.”

“Yeah,” said Jongin. “Wait — when is all this going to be over? I didn’t realize there was a published timeline.”

“It has to end sometime, right?” said Kyungsoo. “I mean, life won’t go back to precisely what it was before, but I don’t see this dragging out forever. Sehun and I talked about it before he showed up.”

“Think of it like the time I got hooked on Nutella,” said Sehun.

“I’m sorry?” said Jongin.

“Yeah, I got addicted to Nutella. At first, it was all I could think about and I ate it with every meal,” said Sehun.

“I came down one morning to see him putting it on dry rice,” said Kyungsoo. “It was disgusting.”

“I see no lies,” said Sehun. “Anyway, over time, pretty quickly, I chilled the fuck out and got sick of it.”

“I don’t see how dessert spread loaded with empty calories equals blood, which gives Night People physical advantages,” said Jongin.

“But those physical advantages actually aren’t _that_ great,” said Kyungsoo. “Obviously I’m laid out because I took advantage of the gains from sucking you.”

Jongin blushed.

“Can we never talk about sucking again?” said Sehun, looking between the two on the couch. They nodded.

Sehun collected the chicken box and took a call. His voice got quieter and quieter as he wandered back to the pantry while talking about how to meet global demand for SSSB.

“Your brother is involved in SSSB?” asked Jongin.

“Yeah, it’s one of his projects,” said Kyungsoo.

“Why would he fund the sunscreen that caused the takeover when he’s not even a Night Person?” asked Jongin.

“He loves his family and he didn’t want us to suffer, I guess,” said Kyungsoo. “My parents both have had to repeatedly get cancerous spots removed and my grandparents all died before we were born due to UV poisoning. He didn’t want that for me, I guess.”

“He’s a good brother,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo nodded. “His blood is still disgusting though.”

“What does blood taste like now that you’ve had it?” asked Jongin.

“Good blood?” asked Kyungsoo. “Mmm, brown butter, brown sugar, caramelized bits of pastry.”

“You can have some,” said Jongin quietly. “Now.”

“No, I really can’t,” said Kyungsoo. “I know you’re going to take off before it’s safe for me to suck you again, but I’m not a murderer.”

“I should have let you know about me leaving,” said Jongin.

“Instead of sneaking off in the middle of the night? Yeah,” said Kyungsoo. “I woke up and Baekhyun wasn't in his casket and I thought the worst. I was looking for spilled blood.”

Jongin hung his head.

“Can I hold him?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin nodded, unable to speak.

Kyungsoo put his hands under Baekhyun's arms and lifted him into his lap.

“Is there something about blood that you haven't told me?” asked Jongin.

“Just a sec–does he need a bottle?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin looked at his watch and then walked over to his backpack to grab out a pre-mixed bottle of formula. When he came back, he sat closer to Kyungsoo before handing the bottle to him.

Kyungsoo cradled Baekhyun and fed him the bottle, his arm supporting the baby's head perfectly. Jongin’s mouth tasted like cat litter. He couldn't stand seeing how Kyungsoo’s unlined face creased when smiling at his son. His heart twisted as though it were nothing more than a washcloth being wrung dry. Something had gone wrong when Kyungsoo had started devouring his bodily fluids, there was no way these feelings could be normal. There must be magic he hadn’t explained.

“You asked about blood?” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin nodded, picking at a tiny weaving error on the thigh of his jeans.

“Nothing that I can think of,” said Kyungsoo. “But we honestly don't know much about it since so much feeding has been covert up until now.”

Jongin watched Kyungsoo place Baekhyun on his shoulder to burp him, firmly tapping on the baby’s back in just the right way.

It was unavoidable. He had to escape soon. He'd wait until Sehun was done with his call and he'd ask to go back to Seoul immediately.

He watched Baekhyun’s little puppy eyes droop on Kyungsoo's shoulder, his own eventually following suit.

\--

Jongin woke up and the lights in the showroom were off. At first he panicked because Kyungsoo and Baekhyun weren't next to him, but Sehun was now sleeping while sitting up on his other side. Baekhyun was safely tucked into his coffin. Jongin couldn't find Kyungsoo.

He set off to wander through the funeral home, feeling himself pulled by some invisible force. Eventually he saw a door down a long hall with light coming from under it. Jongin listened at the door and then pushed it open.

A large desk fit for a branch manager sat in the middle of the room. Behind the desk was a leather office chair. Off to the side of the room was a matching leather fainting couch. On the couch was Kyungsoo.

The light forced Jongin’s eyes to adjust, and when he could see clearly again, it was obvious that something was wrong. Kyungsoo was shaking.

Jongin froze and thought back to how Kyungsoo has described the loss of energy in his muscles after exertion and realized that he was probably in some sort of shock.

Jongin took a piece of paper from the desk and ran the edge along his index finger, drawing blood via a papercut. He opened Kyungsoo's mouth and shoved his finger in, in hopes that the blood would be enough to stop the shaking.

Kyungsoo looked up at him, his shakes subsiding almost immediately. He sucked the saliva off Jongin’s finger and let it drop from his mouth.

“Thank you,” he rasped. “I thought that was the end.”

“Why are you in here instead of getting help from me or Sehun?” asked Jongin.

“I was in here to find a key to the bloodbags,” said Kyungsoo. “The more violent shaking only came on when I was already here.”

“You should take more blood from me,” said Jongin.

“No, just help me find the key,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin rifled through the papers on the desk and began opening desk drawers while Kyungsoo settled behind him in the chair.

After a few minutes of searching, Jongin was growing frantic. He was about to throw something in frustration when he felt a hand settle on his ass as he bent over to check a bottom drawer again.

“Visible pantyline is my second favorite thing,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin tensed. “What's your favorite thing?”

“No visible pantyline,” said Kyungsoo, running his hand down the back of Jongin’s leg and back up between his thighs.

Jongin turned around. “I'll let you do anything you want to me — anything — as long as you suck me off once first. You're too shaky to hold out.”

Kyungsoo nodded and spun Jongin around.

“What do you want me to do, Jongin?” asked Kyungsoo, lowering Jongin’s pants on his narrow hips without opening them, just enough that the waistband caught under his balls so his half-hard dick stuck straight out. Kyungsoo, remaining in the chair, leaned forward and began to suck his dick.

Jongin was backed against the edge of the desk, trapped within his pants, and drowning in Kyungsoo’s wet, warm mouth again. Jongin tangled his fingers in Kyungsoo’s red hair with hesitation and rocked gently.

Kyungsoo pulled off his dick.

“I know what I want to do, but what do you want?” asked Kyungsoo. “You have to tell me things. Talk to me.”

Jongin whimpered and bucked into his mouth involuntarily.

“I want you to suck my dick,” said Jongin, rubbing behind his own ear.

“Mmhmm,” said Kyungsoo around his dick, gesturing to continue.

“I want you to fuck me,” said Jongin, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kyungsoo pulled off and touched his balls. “I need more than this to work with. I know you have thoughts you're not sharing with me.”

Jongin closed his eyes. “I want you to fuck me raw and hard. To shoot your load in me.”

Kyungsoo nodded, pulling off again. “Do you deserve that?”

“No,” said Jongin. “I deserve to be punished.”

“For what?” asked Kyungsoo.

“For running away,” said Jongin.

“What's the punishment for running away?” asked Kyungsoo. “What do you want to happen?”

Jongin got harder. “Spanking. I deserve to be spanked. And I need my hair pulled. I need you to be angry with me.”

Kyungsoo pulled off. “I'm so angry at you. You have no idea.”

“I'll be good,” said Jongin, pouting.

“No, not like that, I'm furious that you did that to me, I thought I was going to rip my own face off until I figured out that you just left,” said Kyungsoo. “Why was leaving so easy for you?”

“I think there's more to blood magic than you said,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo abandoned his attempts to suck Jongin’s dick and just helped him remove his clothes as he spoke until he was naked and standing before him.

“I felt this strange surge of all different sorts of emotions that came on suddenly. It was as if a wall had broken,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo guided Jongin into his lap so they could sit chest-to-back, Kyungsoo’s clothed dick nestled beneath Jongin’s naked ass.

“When did you feel it?” asked Kyungsoo, his hand drifting over Jongin’s nipples and then softly finding it’s way down down his stomach, passing by his navel to tangle in the hair leading to his dick.

“Last night,” said Jongin as he writhed in Kyungsoo’s lap. He placed his legs more firmly outside of Kyungsoo’s and arched his spine to roll down.

“If it makes it easier, I’ll say that the only thing I feel when I look at you is lust, and my thoughts are exclusively related to how I can drain you,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin began to bounce in Kyungsoo’s lap a bit, his hard dick bobbing.

“I helped you just because I wanted to fuck you and drain you, leave you spent and shriveled, while I moved on without remorse,” said Kyungsoo, nipping at Jongin’s shoulder.

Kyungsoo stroked Jongin’s dick, wetting it with precome and keeping a loose hold.

“It's too bad that you left because I would have loved to fuck you,” said Kyungsoo.

“Soo, I'm gonna come, I need–” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo stood, coaxing Jongin off his lap, and directed him back against the desk. He lowered him down until his torso was lying on desk. Next Kyungsoo lifted his legs one by one until his feet were perched on the edge, at a fair distance apart.

Jongin moved to cover himself, feeling completely exposed.

“No, you don't get to do that,” said Kyungsoo. “I've seen this already and I want to enjoy the view again because who knows when it will be taken from me.”

Kyungsoo sat down in the chair again.

“Jerk your dick,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin reached down and began to stroke himself.

Kyungsoo palmed him own dick through his pants.

“Kyungsoo, I’m so close,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo rolled closer and primly placed his mouth on Jongin’s dick. He swallowed some saliva and the motion around Jongin’s dick was enough to make him come.

Jongin let his legs collapse once Kyungsoo backed away and then rose from the desk.

“Can I…” asked Jongin, perching on Kyungsoo’s lap again. He leaned his head back to rest on Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“I don't see why you bother asking, you just do what you want,” said Kyungsoo, wrapping his arms around Jongin’s front and pulling him closer.

“Isn't this a bit too cozy for someone who called me Bloodbag a few hours ago?” asked Jongin.

“You're right, but I'm only doing this so you taste better, remember?” said Kyungsoo.

“I'm scared,” said Jongin, wiggling closer. “More scared than when the takeover began. Part of me wants to be tiny like Baekhyun so I don't know what's going on and I can just sleep through it all.”

“There might be a way to do that, sort of,” said Kyungsoo.

“How did you really find me?” asked Jongin, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Vivi had to pee,” said Kyungsoo. “Then I had to, too.”

Jongin laughed. “I'm grateful,” he said, “that even during all of this, the gods have a sense of humor.”

“You think it was the gods that let me find you in that strange tanning parlor?” asked Kyungsoo.

“I'm certain of it now,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo’s top teeth dragged over the small scar from where he had sucked Jongin on the train.

“I've known you for…how many days?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Not enough but just the right number,” said Jongin.

“Promise you'll never leave without saying something again. I can't force you to do anything or stay anywhere, but please just don't…” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin nodded, nuzzling his face into Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“Your dick is digging into my butt,” said Jongin.

“Isn't that what you wanted?” asked Kyungsoo, laughing.

“Can I suck you off?” asked Jongin.

“Eventually,” said Kyungsoo. “For now, put your forearms on the desk. You requested a spanking.”

Jongin eased off of Kyungsoo’s lap with a small smile. He stood up straight and then bent at the waist to slowly lower himself over the desk. He placed his face on a signed contract.

Kyungsoo sat behind Jongin, surveying his smooth skin and long legs, but not touching him. He reached into his pants to palm his dick, now achingly hard.

“Spread yourself, show me what you want fucked,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin removed his hands from the desk and exposed his hole to Kyungsoo, who was now fisting his dick slowly. Jongin snuck a finger to his entrance.

“Sorry, some other day, you've got to earn that,” said Kyungsoo. “Arms back on the desk.”

Jongin repositioned himself and waited.

“I don't need to do this to you, but it seems like you really want it,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin nodded.

“If it hurts too much you have to tell me,” said Kyungsoo. “How are you going to tell me if it hurts in a bad way?”

“Red,” said Jongin. “I’ll say ‘red’.”

Kyungsoo nodded and moved forward so he could feel Jongin’s ass cheeks, bare and cool to the touch. He ran his hand over one cheek.

“I'm going to do it now,” said Kyungsoo.

“Please,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo slapped Jongin’s right ass cheek. It jiggled.

“Was that ok?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Yes, but I need something inside,” said Jongin.

“No you don't. And this isn't about you having a good time,” said Kyungsoo. “It's about being in trouble.” He landed another smack, this time on Jongin’s left cheek.

Kyungsoo stood and hastily removed his pants. He hovered behind Jongin’s prone body, feeling down his back.

“Put it in,” said Jongin, widening his stance.

“Be quiet,” said Kyungsoo. “And put your legs together. Stop acting ‘porn’.”

Jongin closed his legs.

Kyungsoo slid his dick between Jongin’s thighs, just under his balls, the skin slicked by precome but still a little dry. Jongin pressed his dick to his stomach so Kyungsoo could fuck his thighs smoothly.

Kyungsoo ran his fingers through Jongin’s hair and then gently tugged at it, lifting him off the papers strewn about the desk.

“I need to feed you more chicken so your thighs get fatter,” said Kyungsoo. “You're too muscular.”

Jongin flexed his legs and Kyungsoo groaned.

Kyungsoo fucked between his legs roughly, seemingly taking out his frustration on Jongin’s body.

“Does this make you feel better?” asked Jongin, looking back.

“Not nearly enough,” said Kyungsoo. “Get on your knees.”

Jongin turned around and hit his knees, looking up expectantly at Kyungsoo.

“Open your mouth,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin complied with the order and Kyungsoo used his hand to sweep Jongin’s bangs from his forehead and hold his head steady. Kyungsoo guided his dick into Jongin’s mouth and then began slowly fucking into him while keeping his head in place.

“I bet you left just so I'd do this to you when you returned,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin looked up at him with a soft fondness in his eyes, the corners of them wet.

“God, I want to fuck you,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin made a noise around his dick.

“I’ll have to settle for marking you,” said Kyungsoo. “Hands on your legs, no touching yourself now.”

Jongin removed his hands from his dick, which he had been surreptitiously jerking. He kneeled on the floor expectantly, looking up at Kyungsoo stroking his dick.

“Oh my god,” said Jongin. “Do it.”

“What am I going to do?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Come on my face,” said Jongin.

“You want that?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Don't you?” asked Jongin.

“I could go for dirtying you up,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin opened his mouth.

“No, close your mouth, this is getting shot all over your face,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin beamed up at him.

Kyungsoo pulled back Jongin’s bangs again and came closer to him, jerking himself right before him. Jongin tipped his head back as Kyungsoo orgasmed, his cum hitting Jongin’s face in warm streaks.

Kyungsoo smeared his dick over Jongin’s lips. Jongin opened his mouth to clean it off.

“Urgh, that's enough,” said Kyungsoo once Jongin started getting into it.

“Now you have to take care of me,” said Jongin.

“I–what?” asked Kyungsoo.

“You got me all messy, you need to clean me up,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo groaned and grabbed Jongin’s hand, pulling him from the floor, from the office, down the hall, and into the basement processing area. They didn't bother putting on clothes, they ran down the halls naked aside from Kyungsoo’s shirt.

“Take a shower,” said Kyungsoo.

“Help me,” said Jongin, stepping into the shower, leaving the water off.

“I can't believe you need to be babied when you have a baby of your own,” said Kyungsoo.

“Do you think Sehun can take care of him if he wakes up?” asked Jongin, lurching back to reality.

“Yeah, he doesn't look it, but he's brilliant with kids and animals,” said Kyungsoo.

“In that case, take care of me,” said Jongin, pouting with a half erection and a face full of cum.

Kyungsoo walked closer and turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature.

“There,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin pulled him under the flow of water by one hand.

“At least let me get my shirt off!” said Kyungsoo, laughing. He peeled the wet shirt off and dropped it on the tile floor.

When Kyungsoo returned he was greeted by the sight of Jongin’s eyelashes misted with just enough water that droplets had collected on the tips in a few places. Kyungsoo reached up to touch one.

Water ran down Jongin’s body in sheets and trickles, each seeming to carve away at stone until it made something beautiful and in harmony with everything around it.

Kyungsoo used his hands to gently wash Jongin’s face with water. No longer looking away, Jongin just stared at him while he worked.

“There's no shampoo,” said Kyungsoo softly.

“Soap is fine,” said Jongin.

“Wet your hair,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin leaned under the showerhead. Kyungsoo reached around him to grab the soap, careful not to touch him.

“Lean down,” said Kyungsoo, reaching for Jongin's head.

Jongin bent his knees so Kyungsoo could run the soap through his hair and lather it up.

“What do you wash your hair with at home?” Jongin said.

“Just whatever the stylist insists is necessary to buy in order to avoid hair destruction,” said Kyungsoo. “What about you?”

“Whatever is on sale and easy to find at the local supermarket,” said Jongin. “This isn't a steep downgrade for me.”

“Close your eyes,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin complied, focusing on the feeling of water running over his face as Kyungsoo rinsed the soap from his hair.

“You have to wash all of me,” said Jongin.

“Surely you're capable of washing yourself,” said Kyungsoo.

“I want you to do it,” said Jongin, handing him the soap.

“I don't have a washcloth,” said Kyungsoo.

“That's fine,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo lathered the soap in his hands and stood behind Jongin. He placed his hands on Jongin’s shoulders and spread the bubbles over his shoulder blades and down his spine.

Jongin stifled a shiver.

Kyungsoo soaped down his back until he reached the dimples below Jongin’s waist. He pressed his thumbs into them.

Kyungsoo turned Jongin around.

“Arms up,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin slowly raised his arms above his head while while watching Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo lathered the soap again, this time soaping up Jongin’s armpits carefully. He cupped his hands to direct water to rinse them clean.

His hands followed the flow of clean water down Jongin’s torso, touching him as if feeling him for the first time. In some sense it was the first time, just all over again.

Kyungsoo continued until he reached Jongin’s navel, which he watched Jongin’s abs channel water with fascination.

“I can't believe you made me clean you,” said Kyungsoo, laughing.

“I'm tired,” said Jongin, whining as he reached down to his dick.

“Let me,” said Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo dropped to his knees before Jongin, directly facing his half-hard dick.

“You're seriously going to clean–oh,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo washed him with water as naturally as he washed the rest of his body. More naturally, actually, considering his hesitation at first. He sat on his heels, intently staring it at with a placid expression, as though he were merely washing Jongin’s hand.

“Hold still,” said Kyungsoo, directing water over Jongin and using his hands to gently clean him.

“I'm ticklish,” said Jongin.

“No you're not,” said Kyungsoo, running his hand up and down the shaft. “I know your dick by now.”

“You've blown me three times and you think you know my dick?” asked Jongin, wiping water from his eyes so he could see Kyungsoo more clearly.

“Four times,” said Kyungsoo, wrapping his lips around the head.

“Oh fucking hell,” said Jongin. “You're really intent on draining me.”

“I worked hard today, do your part,” said Kyungsoo, removing his lips and using the saliva as lube for a loose handjob.

“You're not working that hard right now,” whined Jongin.

“Says the person who’s just standing around looking–,” said Kyungsoo.

“Urgh, fine,” said Jongin, dropping to his knees, from which he tackled Kyungsoo to the floor of the small shower.

“This isn't going to get your dick sucked any better,” said Kyungsoo, propping himself up on his elbows.

“I don't want my dick sucked,” said Jongin. He crawled between Kyungsoo’s legs and moved up his body until his face hovered over Kyungsoo’s.

Jongin lowered his bottom half until he was able to slide his cockhead against Kyungsoo’s. The wet roughness of the slide seemed right for a moment stolen under a shower next to an area usually used to drain the dead of their blood for profit.

Jongin’s eyelashes were now bunched together, fully wet. Water ran down his face, some of it collecting on his swollen, open lips before dropping. Kyungsoo angled himself to watch the drops fall. A drop fell onto Kyungsoo’s lips from Jongin’s own. Kyungsoo licked his lips to taste it, curious what the rest of this Day Person tasted like, hungry for more than blood and semen.

Jongin watched Kyungsoo lick his lips and felt his dick get harder. Those lips had sucked him off, said his name, and tested food made for him.

Kyungsoo’s breathing quickened. He clenched his jaw. Jongin began to rock harder, sliding his dick alongside Kyungsoo’s at a more frantic pace.

“I still want your cum,” said Kyungsoo, reaching down to jerk Jongin’s cock.

“It's yours,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo’s mouth opened again, his tongue sticking out just a little as he focused on jerking Jongin.

The mere thought of Kyungsoo’s lips on his own made Jongin’s toes curl and he came, mostly into Kyungsoo’s hand.

Jongin realized that Kyungsoo was still hard, and directed his softening dick between his cheeks, using his hand to press it in a way that allowed for friction. Kyungsoo’s back arched at the feeling of Jongin’s dick sliding over his hole. Kyungsoo raised his hand to his own mouth and lapped Jongin’s cum from his palms and fingers while staring into his eyes. As he tasted Jongin yet again he came untouched so hard his vision blurred temporarily.

“You're going to be so strong,” said Jongin drowsily.

“But I feel so weak now,” said Kyungsoo.

“I could fall asleep in here,” said Jongin.

“Don't or else you might become one of our commercial clients like so many others, despite my best efforts,” said Kyungsoo.

They stood on shaky legs, rinsing off, and then toweling dry. After pulling on fresh scrubs from a supply closet they snuck upstairs again to sleep.

\--

The ride back to Seoul was not going well.

Not due to any terror inflicted on the group consisting of one Night Person, one Night Baby, a napping Bichon, and two Day People, but due to the terror of having to make eye contact and conversation with people in the middle of embarrassment.

Kyungsoo and Jongin could carry off acting normal despite waking up curled close together on the couch until Sehun mentioned while they packed the Benz that he had woken up and fed Baekhyun in the middle of the night due to his “fathers” being missing. Said pronouncement was accompanied by arched eyebrows from Sehun and protestations from Jongin and Kyungsoo, who sought to demonstrate how unattached they were by avoiding eye constant the rest of the trip.

“Where am I taking you?” asked Sehun.

“Yangcheon,” said Jongin as Kyungsoo opened his mouth to respond.

Kyungsoo licked his lips and didn't say anything while Jongin tended to Baekhyun, who they had decided should be in his carrier and strapped to his father due to lack of a proper car seat.

“Watch for that merging car,” said Kyungsoo, glancing back at Jongin and Baekhyun in the backseat.

“Yes, I know how to drive,” said Sehun. “You can go sit back there if you want.”

“Why would I do that? I'm just helping you,” said Kyungsoo.

“Right. Anyway, we’ll arrive at Yangcheon in thirty minutes,” said Sehun.

“I'm surprised that everything seems normal,” said Jongin. “Are you sure this wasn't just a fucked up, limited social experiment or something?”

“Things got wild when the takeover started,” said Sehun, “but President Moon wasn't attacked and came to the negotiating table with the Global Alliance for Persons of the Night, China, Japan, Germany, the US, and Russia yesterday. Things are still shaky, but it seems like he's willing to talk.”

“What about the rogue Night People?” asked Jongin.

“SNS videos suggest that some ajusshis and ajummas who learned to resist during more repressive regimes in the past came out in force and showed them the error of their ways,” said Sehun.

“They got their asses beat,” said Kyungsoo.

“This is the least catastrophic takeover ever,” said Jongin. “We had school drills preparing for an attack by the North that were more traumatic,” said Jongin.

“You sound disappointed,” said Sehun, smiling faintly into the rear view mirror.

“Not at all, I'm always happy to spend a lost weekend in a funeral home,” said Jongin. “I was very well taken care of.”

“I don't need to know about that,” said Sehun.

Kyungsoo slumped in his seat.

Before long, they pulled up outside a modest building of two stories with a rooftop apartment.

“This is it,” said Jongin.

Sehun stayed in the passenger seat. “I won't interrupt your goodbyes,” he said.

Kyungsoo leaned over to punch his bicep and then slid out of the passenger seat.

“I'll get your bag out of the back,” he said to Jongin, who was busy trying to navigate out of the car with Baekhyun on his chest.

Jongin walked around to the back of the car and collected his backpack from Kyungsoo.

“Do you want me to go up and make sure everything is ok? I'm guessing you're on the roof?” asked Kyungsoo.

“No, no, quite alright. My landlady is one of those tough ajummas who probably decked raging Night People, she will have looked after my place,” said Jongin.

“Ok, well…” said Kyungsoo.

“Thank you for looking after us!” said Jongin a bit too brightly. He rocked on his feet uncomfortably.

“Should we…” said Kyungsoo.

“Should we what?” asked Jongin.

“I dunno, do a ceremonial fist bump to say goodbye?” said Kyungsoo.

“Sure,” said Jongin.

They awkwardly knocked their fists together.

Baekhyun started to cry.

“I should go before the neighbors complain about the noise. They do that a lot even when society isn't collapsing,” said Jongin, his face directed at the ground.

“Of course, don't let me keep you,” said Kyungsoo, holding the gate to the house open for Jongin.

“Well,” said Kyungsoo.

“Yeah,” said Jongin.

They both nodded and quickly headed away.

Kyungsoo climbed in the Benz, buckling his seatbelt carefully, and directing his eyes ahead.

“All set?” asked Sehun.

Kyungsoo nodded and Sehun pulled away, driving through the narrow streets slowly.

Kyungsoo touched his sternum, where Jongin had kicked him shortly after they first met, and he felt suddenly bruised as though the injury were just now causing pain.

“Are you ok?” asked Sehun.

“Fine,” said Kyungsoo tightly.

As they were nearing the end of the labyrinthine streets and getting close to the main thoroughfare, Kyungsoo’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it, used to the high volume of texts in the wake of the takeover.

 **Baekhyunnie’s Dad**  
I love you, hyung.

His heart stopped then seemed to race. Jongin must have entered his number into Kyungsoo’s phone at one point. He wondered if he even did it before running off to the tanning salon. How much had he missed that was right in front of him all along? He wondered–

“Stop, we need to go back,” said Kyungsoo.

“Is anything wrong?” asked Sehun, throwing the truck into reverse immediately. “We can call for police or an ambulance.”

“No, no, I just forgot something, don't get us killed,” said Kyungsoo.

Sehun navigated admirably, taking advantage of the quietness of the neighborhood. Soon he parked outside Jongin’s building.

“I'll be out in a few, thanks bro,” said Kyungsoo, throwing the door open and running up the stairs to the roof two at a time. He typed a return text, but rang the bell before hitting send.

He heard Baekhyun crying on the other side of the door. Someone fiddled with the door and soon it opened, revealing Jongin’s surprised face. Kyungsoo hit send on the text.

“What are you doing here?” asked Jongin.

“I needed to see something,” said Kyungsoo, grabbing Jongin’s phone from his hand.

Kyungsoo stared at the words on the phone, unmoving. Jongin didn't attempt to take it back from him, just soothing Baekhyun instead.

“Give me the baby. Pack what you need for him. Today. What you need for him today. The rest can be brought,” said Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun quieted in Kyungsoo’s arms as Jongin threw baby clothes, diapers, and spare bottles into a plaid plastic bag.

“Ok,” said Jongin after five minutes.

Kyungsoo nodded and walked back out of the house, Jongin trailing after him with the plaid bag and his backpack. He walked down the stairs carefully and walked around to the back of the Benz before knocking on the trunk to get Sehun to open it for him. The latch clicked and the door slowly opened as Kyungsoo and Jongin stood quietly next to each other.

Jongin tossed the hastily packed bag into the trunk and walked around to his side of the car. Kyungsoo hurried after him and opened the door. Jongin slid into his seat and buckled in. Kyungsoo handed Baekhyun to him silently.

Once the baby was handed off, Kyungsoo carefully closed the door and walked around to the other side. He opened the backseat door and slid in next to Jongin and Baekhyun. He buckled himself in, saying nothing.

“Where are we going?” asked Sehun.

Kyungsoo looked up. “My house,” he said.

Sehun suppressed a smile and headed back out of Yangcheon.

The ride to Kyungsoo’s apartment was quiet. Baekhyun fell asleep and Sehun didn't bother turning on the music, preferring to let the passengers choke on the tension. By halfway through the ride to Cheongdamdong, Kyungsoo looked up from his hands and caught Jongin staring at him.

“What?” mouthed Kyungsoo.

Jongin just nodded. He adjusted Baekhyun and placed his right hand on the bench seat next to him.

Kyungsoo followed his movements. Jongin’s hand: his fingers long and skin rough but still looking like a disarming starfish reaching out into the universe to cling to something.

Him. He was reaching out to cling to him.

Kyungsoo took his hand out of his lap and dropped it next to him. He slowly slid it toward Jongin’s until their outer hands rested alongside each other. He looped his pinkie over Jongin’s. Jongin tightened the hold.

Kyungsoo licked his lips, swallowing down some cocktail of emotions that threatened to spill.

Both Jongin and Kyungsoo glanced at their connected hands from time to time, but carefully avoided eye contact while in the car. Their bodies seemed to vibrate with energy. This thing was too delicate to risk with eye contact yet.

Sehun pulled up in front of a luxury building.

“Do you need help getting stuff up?” asked Sehun.

“No. Thank you, bro,” said Kyungsoo.

“No prob,” said Sehun with a smirk.

The ride up in the elevator was silent. Kyungsoo and Jongin leaned against the back rail, their pinkies connected again.

The doors opened to a foyer.

“Of course you have a penthouse,” said Jongin, chuckling.

“Is it ok?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin nodded. “Most stand-up comedians can't afford a place without roommates.”

“I’m glad I don't have roommates right now,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin looked at his shoes as he removed them and blushed.

“Well, this is the living room,” said Kyungsoo, walking around and gesturing to rooms. “There's the kitchen. My office is over there. Dining room. Terrace. Guest bedroom. Other guest bedroom. The master bedroom. All the windows are specially treated, so Baekhyun and I don't need sunscreen in here.”

Kyungsoo paused outside his bedroom door, the plaid bag and Jongin’s backpack in hand. He crossed the threshold with them. Jongin followed him.

“We can have people bring the things from your apartment tomorrow,” said Kyungsoo.

“Where shall we sleep?” asked Jongin, his voice no more than a whisper.

“Wherever you want,” said Kyungsoo.

“Why am I here?” asked Jongin.

“I promised to protect you, and we never set an end date for that agreement,” said Kyungsoo.

“I don't think I need protection anymore,” said Jongin. “Things are fine now.”

Kyungsoo took Baekhyun from Jongin’s arms and carried him to the bed. He placed the baby at the center of it, then crawled in after him.

“I don't have a crib yet, so we have to be the bumpers for Baekhyun’s bed,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin crawled onto the opposite side of the large bed, lying on his side to mirror Kyungsoo.

“Why am I here?” asked Jongin again, his eyes hopeful but guarded.

“Did you read my text?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin grabbed at his pockets and extracted his phone. He pushed a button, the screen lighting up his face. He read the message once and then again. He looked up, his eyes shining.

“We should put Baekhyun in a makeshift cradle because I'm scared of rolling on him,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo went off to find something suitable while Jongin rocked his son. Kyungsoo returned with an oval laundry basket and a pile of blankets.

“I think this will do until tomorrow,” he said.

Jongin placed Baekhyun in the nest and watched him close his eyes again. He turned to Kyungsoo.

“You have to say it out loud to me,” said Jongin.

“Say what?” asked Kyungsoo.

“What you wrote. You have to tell me to my face,” said Jongin.

“Why don't you have to?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Because I told you first,” said Jongin. “Otherwise I'm going to think this is a half-hearted ‘me too’ and that's no reason to do something crazy like move into a fancy penthouse.”

“This is crazy?” asked Kyungsoo, his face grave.

“Totally crazy,” said Jongin. “But everything good is a little crazy, so I'm not worried.”

Kyungsoo walked back to the other side of the bed and flopped on top of the comforter. He patted the space next to him.

Jongin crawled onto the bed and faced Kyungsoo.

“I love you,” said Kyungsoo, staring at the ceiling.

“This is the least romantic confession I've ever heard,” said Jongin.

“Says someone who told me the same thing by text!” said Kyungsoo.

“You know I'm going to die if you don't kiss me, right?” said Jongin.

“I...uhh...kiss,” said Kyungsoo. “Kissing isn't…”

“You don't like kissing?” said Jongin.

“I...don't know?” said Kyungsoo.

“Wait, you've clearly at least sucked dicks before, but you haven't kissed?” asked Jongin.

“It took a lot of professional help and alcohol to get to the dick sucking and fucking part, give me a break!” said Kyungsoo, turning to face the opposite direction.

Jongin placed his hand on Kyungsoo’s bicep to get him to turn around. When Kyungsoo looked at him, Jongin was glowing.

“I get to be the first person you kiss?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo nodded. Jongin crawled over to him so their faces were aligned. Kyungsoo could feel Jongin’s breath on his upper lip. He reached out to touch the stubble that had accumulated on Jongin’s face over several days.

“Let me be the last, too,” said Jongin. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Kyungsoo’s gently. He pulled back to gauge the reaction.

Kyungsoo looked at him with big eyes.

“Is that it?” he asked. “The thing people make a big deal about?”

“You were expecting something better?” asked Jongin.

“No, I, just, umm,” said Kyungsoo. “That's not what it looks like on tv and movies.”

“Oh, you were expecting something cinematic?” asked Jongin.

“No, that was fine,” said Kyungsoo. “Thank you.” He rolled back to face the ceiling.

“Oh, you want that kind of kissing?” asked Jongin. “I thought you'd want to start simple, but clearly I'm wrong.”

“Are you teasing me?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Yeah. Because I love you,” said Jongin. He shifted over to climb on top of Kyungsoo. He lowered himself on his elbows until he hovered over Kyungsoo’s face. His eyes shifted from Kyungsoo’s eyes down to his lips.

Jongin moved down slowly. He trailed his lips over Kyungsoo’s and then sucked on his particularly plump bottom lip. Kyungsoo took a first stab at kissing back by sucking on Jongin’s top lip in return. Jongin pulled away and ran his hand through Kyungsoo's hair.

“Do you want more?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo pulled him down and sucked on his bottom lip, scraping his teeth over it in retaliation. Jongin moaned softly and opened his mouth so their tongues could slide against each other slowly.

Jongin pulled back to see Kyungsoo’s pink cheeks. Kyungsoo drew a shuddering breath.

“You saved me in your phone as–” said Kyungsoo.

“Ah, that,” said Jongin, “a humorous name, right?”

“No, I want that,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin leaned down to nose at Kyungsoo’s neck. “What do you want?” he asked.

“To be Baekhyun’s other dad,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin froze. He was unsure if he heard Kyungsoo right and had to replay the moment in his mind.

When he was certain of what he had heard, he began lightly sucking at Kyungsoo’s neck and playing with his hair. Kyungsoo arched under him, pressing their bodies even closer together.

“It's strange to be in love after only a few days, isn't it?” asked Jongin.

“Yes,” said Kyungsoo, rolling them over on the giant bed, “but I don't think we’re meant to be anything other than strange.” He leaned down and initiated another kiss, searing yet innocent.

\--

Two days later, Jongin woke at 3am to the cries of his son. He and Kyungsoo had fallen asleep that night in their regular clothes, cuddled together while watching a movie in bed. He stretched and then moved to get up to comfort Baekhyun and put him back to sleep.

As he was about to leave to go next door to the hastily arranged nursery, he heard a voice on the baby monitor next to the bed.

“What's going on, baby?” a voice sang. “Why’re you crying?”

Kyungsoo, his Kyungsoo, was crooning to Baekhyun. Jongin sat on the edge of the bed and listened, his eyes filling with tears.

“Are you hungry?” Kyungsoo asked Baekhyun. “Is it your diaper? Do you just need daddy to hold you? Come on up.”

Jongin was wracked by sobs, the exhaustion and shock of the takeover finally hitting him, his emotions unleashed by his overwhelming gratitude and love for the person that saved him from more than one struggle he had doubted he could survive. He wasn't alone.

He carried the baby monitor with him into the bathroom where he drew a bath in Kyungsoo’s giant tub. His giant tub? Their giant tub. Still Kyungsoo chatted to the baby, but the warm water helped Jongin wash away the tears and reset his nerves. As he soaked, he listened to the lullabies and R&B ballads, the chit chat about birdies and bunnies, and the pats as Kyungsoo burped Baekhyun.

Jongin got out of the tub and dried off, dropping the towel on the floor and climbing into the bed naked, placing the baby monitor back on the table beside him. Soon Kyungsoo returned to the room. He slid into bed next to Jongin.

“What are you doing up?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Just thinking about how much I love you,” said Jongin.

“Ohhhh, I'm getting shivers, isn't that too cheesy?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Mmhmm,” said Jongin, rolling onto his stomach so he could hide his face in the pillow.

Kyungsoo absentmindedly stroked Jongin’s ass.

“We should turn the third bedroom into a small gym,” said Kyungsoo. “Your tiny ass probably requires constant maintenance.”

Jongin pushed his backend up.

“It's not tiny! I do squats!” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo pulled his cheeks apart and released them.

“No jiggle,” said Kyungsoo. “You have a tiny ass.”

“Do you like a bigger butt?” asked Jongin quietly.

“I like whatever ass you have,” said Kyungsoo, leaning down to rest his head on Jongin’s right cheek.

“You'd be ok if it got bigger?” asked Jongin. “I keep eating the food you cook for me...”

Kyungsoo shifted to kneel behind Jongin. He slowly, deliberately spread Jongin again, this time leaning down.

“If your ass gets fatter I’ll get skinnier because it's all I’ll ever eat,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin buried his face deeper in the plush pillow.

Kyungsoo held him open and stroked over his entrance with a finger.

“Has anyone told you how pretty your hole is?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin groaned.

“It's the same color as your nipples and just as tiny,” said Kyungsoo. “I'm scared to hurt it.”

Jongin jerked, anticipating something.

“You're so tight,” said Kyungsoo. “Haven't you been fucked properly?”

Jongin looked back, his eyes big. “Is this something you worked on in therapy?” he whispered.

“Not this specifically, but I've watched a lot of porn,” said Kyungsoo in his normal voice. “Is it working for you?”

“God, yes,” said Jongin. “It's like you learned all my kinks by osmosis. Cumosis.”

“That’s not totally out of the realm of possibility. I'm going to eat your ass now, ok?” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin nodded frantically into his pillow, spreading his legs wider.

Kyungsoo leaned down and ran his flattened tongue over Jongin’s entrance. He eased the tip into the tight ring all the while stroking his hand over Jongin’s left femoral artery. After he had loosened Jongin’s rim enough to slide his whole tongue in, he pulled back.

“I can smell your blood through your skin, I swear,” said Kyungsoo, whispering further filthy thoughts against Jongin’s upper thigh, kissing over the spot where he'd have sucked Jongin.

Kyungsoo pulled away and scooted to the edge of the bed, from which he leaned over to the nightstand to grab lube.

“Maybe our first time should be all gauzy and romantic,” said Jongin. “Missionary.”

“The first time I sucked your dick your baby was napping in a coffin across the room, so I think our chance to be stereotypical passed,” said Kyungsoo.

“This is true and also I really want you to fuck me,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo eased one finger into Jongin while simultaneously holding his head firmly to the bed. Jongin tried to rock to speed up the preparation.

“You want more?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Mmhmm,” said Jongin, his jaw hanging open while he panted.

Kyungsoo slipped a second finger into his hole, calmly working it in as Jongin thrust back on his hand.

“You only look tight, I bet,” said Kyungsoo. “Look at you trying to swallow up my hand. You're so greedy for it.”

“Kyungsoo,” whispered Jongin as sweat gathered on his hairline. “I need you to fuck me. Please.”

“Hold yourself open,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin reached back to pull his cheeks apart.

“This is never going to get old,” said Kyungsoo. “The first time I saw you do that I thought I'd die if I didn't push in.”

“Why didn't you,” said Jongin.

“I was scared that getting closer again right after you bolted might make you leave again,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin stilled. “You do realize that we did a lot of other stuff that night, right?”

“Yeah, but no...you know,” said Kyungsoo.

“Sex, it's just…” said Jongin. “It's just a physical thing. What we really have is separate from that.”

“What does that even mean?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Sex is just like exercise,” said Jongin.

“Oh, exercise?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin nodded.

“Is this disaster dicking?” asked Kyungsoo.

“No, this is just private personal training,” said Jongin.

“That's such bullshit and you know it,” said Kyungsoo. “Sex doesn't have to have a Kenny G soundtrack and special lighting to be romantic. You still clean?”

“Since we talked about this 24 hours ago?” asked Jongin laughing. “Uh yeah.”

“Just making sure you haven’t found a glory hole in the third bedroom or something,” said Kyungsoo, slowly pressing in.

“How, my god, Soo,” said Jongin, drawing panicked breaths as Kyungsoo entered him.

“Shh,” said Kyungsoo, closing his eyes and rubbing a hand over Jongin’s back to calm him.

“You're so tiny, but that dick is no joke,” said Jongin, recovering.

“I'm going to get you back for that,” said Kyungsoo.

“I just said that your dick is thick,” said Jongin.

“No you didn't, asshole,” said Kyungsoo, laughing as he eased the rest of the way in.

Jongin remained very still and panted quietly.

Kyungsoo stilled and ran his fingertips down Jongin’s spine, tracing each bump.

“I don't ever want to study another spine again,” said Kyungsoo.

“Do you have a spine fetish or something?” asked Jongin.

“No, just a Jongin fetish,” said Kyungsoo. “Just think: at one point you were little more than this spine and now you're so much more.”

Kyungsoo touched Jongin’s neck.

“So much more,” he said.

Jongin began to pull forward and then thrust back minutely onto Kyungsoo’s dick.

“Are you sure you're ready?” asked Kyungsoo.

“No,” said Jongin, “not really.”

“Go slow, baby, no need to rush,” said Kyungsoo.

“How the fuck are you giving me and my–our baby the same nickname as me?” asked Jongin.

“Ok, he's baby, you're Juice Pouch then,” said Kyungsoo, directing Jongin to rise on his knees and lean against Kyungsoo’s chest.

With Jongin’s back to Kyungsoo’s chest, they began to move. Kyungsoo wrapped his arm around Jongin’s upper torso to steady him while using the other to direct him down onto his dick.

“I knew you could do it, Juice Pouch,” said Kyungsoo. “Look at you taking my dick like a straw violently jammed in at a middle school soccer match.”

“I wish you made me take your dick like that,” said Jongin laughing. “So far I'm getting the ineffective coddled treatment.”

Kyungsoo thrust up into Jongin.

“You really want it all?” said Kyungsoo.

“Mmhmm,” said Jongin, dropping his head onto Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“Get up,” said Kyungsoo, pulling out and slicking himself up again.

Jongin slowly climbed off the bed, looking like a chastised puppy.

Kyungsoo placed his hand on the small of Jongin’s back, steering him to the floor-to-ceiling windows covered by curtains. He walked to a panel on the wall and pressed a button. The curtains opened, revealing Seoul’s skyline.

Kyungsoo crowded behind Jongin’s naked body. He placed his hand below Jongin’s knee and lifted it carefully. Jongin balanced on one leg and allowed Kyungsoo to support his other limb.

“No, no, you're not going to get lazy on me, are you?” asked Kyungsoo against Jongin’s ear. “Extend your leg and rest your foot against the wall, way up there. Show me what a dancer can do.”

Jongin pointed his toes elegantly and rested his left foot on the wall as instructed. His legs were spread wide as if he were doing the splits in the air. Kyungsoo wrapped his right arm around Jongin’s chest and guided his dick back in with his left, then moving his hand to steady Jongin’s lifted leg.

“When you told me you were once a dancer, my dirty mind flashed to fucking you like this,” said Kyungsoo through clenched teeth as he thrust, pulling Jongin’s body down into his own.

Jongin moaned, his head falling forward. His dick swung from the force, slapping against his leg almost painfully until he held the base and it hardened slightly after the initial discomfort of penetration subsided.

“Look at the city,” said Kyungsoo. “They could all look out their windows right now and see every bit of you spread out like a buffet, taking my dick. But you're my snack, right? Mine alone.”

Jongin frantically nodded while whining just a bit, the sound escaping his lungs as he collided with Kyungsoo over and over almost violently.

“You aren't touching yourself are you?” asked Kyungsoo.

“No, just making sure my dick doesn't fall off,” said Jongin.

“Give yourself some strokes so you can get properly hard,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin pumped his dick, throwing his head back and almost hitting Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo ran his hand through Jongin’s hair and lightly tugged on it. The motion pulled Jongin’s head to the side so the muscles in his neck and shoulders strained and flexed.

Kyungsoo lowered his mouth to Jongin’s jugular.

“I could drain you right now,” said Kyungsoo. “You're so vulnerable. I never would hurt you, but the idea of it makes me want to nut in you.”

“Fucking do it, suck me,” rasped Jongin. “Let me get more inside you than I already am.”

Kyungsoo dropped his hand from Jongin’s head and ran it again over his chest. He found Jongin’s nipples and brushed them lightly.

“Fuck, you clenched,” said Kyungsoo, rutting faster.

“Your fault,” said Jongin.

“You close?” asked Kyungsoo.

“If you keep playing with me like that,” said Jongin, stroking his dick in time with the thrusts.

“Can I come in you?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin moaned and nodded. “If you clean me out after,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo’s dick twitched at the thought of Jongin bending over in the shower with a line of his cum slowly dripping down those long legs from his puffy, battered hole. Jongin would look back, expectantly waiting for Kyungsoo to slide behind him and–

Kyungsoo came, his thrusts growing more firm as he shot his load in Jongin, fucking through the mess while Jongin’s cum splattered on the window and mostly the floor.

Jongin put out his arms to steady himself once he was done. Kyungsoo helped guide his extended leg down and pulled out reluctantly.

Jongin turned around, wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo’s neck and snuggling in while standing so they both seemed to be the same height.

“You've fucked me out,” said Jongin softly.

“That's what you get for complaining,” said Kyungsoo.

“Will you carry me to the bathroom?” asked Jongin sleepily.

“That good?” asked Kyungsoo, turning around so Jongin could playfully drape over his back for an awkward piggyback.

“We’re not well matched for this,” said Jongin between yawns.

“What's this?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Piggybacks,” said Jongin. “We should stick to sex.”

\--

Light streamed in through the open curtains.

“Are we just going to stay in bed all the time?” asked Jongin, stretching in the covers when he finally woke up that morning.

“Is that what people usually do when they're in love?” asked Kyungsoo, resting against the headboard next to him. “I fed Baek, by the way.”

“Thanks, Soo. At first people just stay in bed, I guess, then they reclaim time for life and stop having sex constantly,” said Jongin.

“Isn't this life?” said Kyungsoo.

“Just the best part,” said Jongin.

Jongin twisted in the blankets, reaching over to place his hands on Kyungsoo’s stomach.

“Do your kind spawn in men?” asked Jongin.

“My kind, you've got to be fucking kidding me. Are you trying to say I'm fat?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin giggled. “No, not at all. I just want to see you with a belly for some reason. I want to fill you.”

“Listen, your love of bellies already got you one kid,” said Kyungsoo. “I'm not spawning shit given that I'm — once again please note — human and male. And I don't know if you think open relationships and random kids showing up at our door are the norm but no, absolutely not in this household.”

Kyungsoo crawled onto Jongin, his body still naked, straddling his stomach.

“You're so possessive,” said Jongin, shifting below Kyungsoo.

“I'm possessive as fuck,” said Kyungsoo, holding Jongin’s morning wood as he settled back onto it.

“What the fuck, are you going in dry?” asked Jongin, visibly horrified.

“No, I fingered myself with lube while watching you sleep,” said Kyungsoo matter-of-factly, as if that's a normal, everyday occurrence. “You sleep a lot. I'm close.”

“God, I love you,” said Jongin, exhaling and stretching his arms until they hit the headboard and slid down.

“That's a relief because it would be awkward to be in this position if you woke up and realized you didn't,” said Kyungsoo.

“You have possession of my dick, what are you going to do with it?” asked Jongin.

“You're so sexy, I thought sex with you would be sexy, this is not sexy,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin thrust up into Kyungsoo.

“You're being an asshole,” said Jongin, laughing.

“You're in my asshole, asshole,” said Kyungsoo. “No talking!”

Kyungsoo leaned down to kiss Jongin, his hips working down to ride. Jongin’s hand lightly trailed over Kyungsoo’s back, up and down. His other hand moved to feel where they were connected.

“I want you to suck me,” said Jongin with a serious expression.

“I've been sucking you, Juice Pouch,” said Kyungsoo.

“My blood,” said Jongin. “Right now.”

“Are you–” said Kyungsoo.

“Yes,” said Jongin. “I want it.”

“Ok,” said Kyungsoo, straightening up to ride faster. “Ok. Let me know when you're about to come.”

Jongin thrust up until Kyungsoo as he bounced.

“You sound fucking wet, honey, how much lube did you use?” said Jongin.

“Enough,” said Kyungsoo. “I got bored and started to try to fit my fist in, lube was necessary.”

Jongin groaned and thrust harder.

“How far did you get?” asked Jongin. “I had no idea you had a size kink, too.”

“Oh, Juice Pouch, are you telling on yourself?” crooned Kyungsoo.

“Please, like you haven't know about my knotting kink since, like, twenty minutes after we met,” said Jongin.

“You like a good fill, hmm?” asked Kyungsoo, panting.

Jongin nodded.

“Soo, I'm gonna–” said Jongin, gesturing to his neck.

Kyungsoo froze his position, allowing Jongin to keep thrusting into him while he moved over his jugular.

Jongin began to cry out, signaling the start of his orgasm and Kyungsoo dove in, biting as Jongin emptied his load inside.

Kyungsoo continued to suck, the licks and sucks erotic as if he intended to give Jongin pleasure from it.

“Hold on tight,” said Jongin, and Kyungsoo attached more firmly to his neck as he rolled them over.

Jongin slid a finger in alongside his softening dick.

“I need you to come hard after all this work,” said Jongin, slipping in another finger.

Kyungsoo moaned deep from within, barely containing his mouthful of blood.

“Take it all,” said Jongin, “you can do it.” Kyungsoo closed up the wound with his mouth.

Kyungsoo looked almost possessed as he writhed with dilated pupils and a smudge of blood on his lips. He was unfocused, completely given over to ecstasy, but still not orgasming.

Jongin decided to help.

“I'm going to give you my cum, too, after this,” said Jongin, “and you're going to help. You're going to be full of me today. All you'll have to do is–”

Jongin pulled Kyungsoo a bit closer by the neck and whispered into his ear while spreading the fingers pumping in his hole.

“Fuck fuck fuck,” said Kyungsoo, the slight twist of pain turning to pleasure as he heard Jongin’s filthy proposal and the blood he'd sucked began to mix with his own. Jongin used his free hand to stroke Kyungsoo’s dick — at last — and set loose his orgasm. Cum splattered as Kyungsoo nearly curled in on himself from the force of his release.

He closed his eyes.

Jongin gently pulled his dick and fingers free.

“No, no, don't sleep on me yet, we’re just getting started.”

\--

“So there I was, the smallest kid in the class, on the beach during this school trip _dressed in scuba gear_ to avoid a burn,” said Kyungsoo with a deadpan expression while swirling a lowball glass. “I had to pretend to be obsessed with scuba diving for the rest of the year and I kept getting pieces of coral from other kids for my birthdays up until high school. Seriously! You should see it, I have stacks of coral in my childhood bedroom to this day because I became Scuba Guy at six, and apparently if you like something at six, you like it for life unless you correct people, but how do you correct people when the reality is ‘hey I burn as in _burn_ in the sun and oh also I’d like to suck your blood?’”

The crowd roared. Jongin smiled while flipping through the program for the Suwon Night People Comedy Night to raise money to restore one of Korea’s National Treasures burned down by marauding Day People just after the takeover. He’d heard the material already, but he came out to have the chance to get some time alone with Kyungsoo while Sehun babysat Baekhyun back in Seoul.

“So, as my 27 Facebook followers may have noticed, there have been some big changes in my life. I recently started doing pilates, and like every man who does pilates, I'm going to bring it up at least three times per social interaction. That's one. I also recently became a father — thank you, no really, applause is not necessary, I didn’t even donate the stuff that made the kid, but I’m getting all the love, wow, I finally feel like a father,” said Kyungsoo. “No, but becoming a dad is the best experience of my life after meeting his father.”

The crowd smiled. Jongin saw a few couples exchange loving glances.

“Well, I take that back,” said Kyungsoo. “Meeting his dad, that really wasn’t the best moment of my life, because it started when I took a 90s-style aerobics kick to the chest.”

Jongin pulled his bucket hat lower and giggled.


	2. Extra Sip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Juice Pouch love! I was so taken aback by the response that I decided to crank the fanservice to 11 and tell the whole end of the story. Many thanks to indigomini for putting this iconic prompt out into the universe and the Exogeddon mods for running a bangin' fest.

Things were situation normal: all delightfully fucked up at the penthouse.

“Kyungsoo, why is our son chewing on crackers that look like people?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo looked up from his laptop. “Because he's teething? Look at those cute little canines.”

“Why are the crackers shaped like people though? What happened to his Animal Crackers?”

“They're People Crackers now,” said Kyungsoo. “The takeover wasn't that dramatic, but some thing have changed. The local grocery store stocks People Crackers in the baby food section now, no more need to order them online.”

“But why does he need to eat People Crackers when Animal Crackers are a thing?” asked Jongin.

“We don't want him growing up estranged from Night Person culture, do we?” asked Kyungsoo.

Jongin sat down on the couch and looked around the penthouse warily, still adjusting to the fact that canvas art made out of his and Kyungsoo’s blood mixed together now adorned every wall thanks to several months of careful collection and artful splattering by a local Night Artist inspired by the work of Jackson Pollack and television’s Dexter.

“It may not be necessary to have everything in his life be related to being a Night Person,” said Jongin. “He was perfectly fine with Animal Crackers last week, for example.”

“Listen Juice Pouch, we are out of the processing basement and into the light — with proper sunscreen — from now on,” said Kyungsoo.

“Speaking of SSSB, when is Sehun getting back from Japan?” asked Jongin.

“Sunday night, but he's heading to Mexico on Tuesday to swim with sharks,” said Kyungsoo.

“Why?” asked Jongin.

“He says it helps him develop resistance to the fear that Night People are going to randomly bite him. I guess he thinks that if sharks don't bother, why would humans,” said Kyungsoo.

“How does that even make sense?” asked Jongin.

“I honestly don't know, I think it's just a tech bro thing that he wants to write off on his taxes as a medical expense,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin looked over Kyungsoo’s shoulder at the laptop screen.

“Soo, what are you working on?” asked Jongin, his voice wary.

“I'm just drafting a proposal for a children’s book,” said Kyungsoo. “It's called ‘Jongin Jr. has Two Daddies (and one of them sucks blood).’ It's kind of an all-in-one book to introduce kids to the concept of gay dads and Night People at the same time.”

“Are you sure you want to combine two complicated topics into one story?” asked Jongin.

“Yeah,” said Kyungsoo. “Kids are great with complexity. Baekhyun often simultaneously wants to play in the bath but also scream like he's melting when he hits the water.”

“That's not quite...the same...” said Jongin before giving up. “Anyway, my cousin will be here soon and he's going to watch Baek while we get out of the house for a night. Surprise, it's date night, Jongin Jr.’s daddies need to get laid.”

“Your cousin Junmyeon?” asked Kyungsoo.

“No, he's probably at work. He just made partner.”

“Oh, your cousin Minseok then,” said Kyungsoo.

“Nope, busy managing his family’s industrial cleaning business, I think.”

“Who does that leave?” asked Kyungsoo.

The buzzer rang and Jongin walked over to answer the door. While opening it he said, “Are you seriously not going to respond to the part where I mentioned date night fucking?”

“Ya! Kids absorb everything,” said Jongdae as he walked in.

“Yaaaaa!” yelled Baekhyun.

“Yaaaaaa back!” yelled Jongdae, tripping and hopping out of his shoes so he could scoop Baekhyun out of his highchair.

Kyungsoo just watched the scene from behind his laptop before closing the lid.

Jongdae looked down at Kyungsoo. “Oh, hi, you must be Jongin’s vampire husband.”

“I'm–we’re not–yet–married,” said Kyungsoo, not sure where to start and a bit rattled by all the noise.

“Argghhhhhh,” said Jongdae while crawling on the ground with Baekhyun, presumably pretending to be a dinosaur. “Dinosaurs went extinct because they didn't form legal family units, don't be like dinos. Rooooaaaar.”

Kyungsoo got up from the kitchen table and found Jongin packing an overnight bag in their bedroom.

“Juice Pouch, what is your cousin on?” asked Kyungsoo. “He just tried to tell me that dinosaurs went extinct due to a lack of marriage vows.”

Jongin looked out at Jongdae galloping around the living room with Baekhyun on his back.

“Oh, yeah, so Jongdae got hooked on tv after losing his job as a delivery man following an accident,” said Jongin. “He's probably combining History Channel programs with late night public access preaching, he had sleep and memory issues for a bit.”

“He got injured on the job?” asked Kyungsoo.

“No, he just delivered a package to the wrong place,” said Jongin.

“That's unfortunate, but surely he didn't deserve to lose his job,” said Kyungsoo.

“He was a delivery man for the military and the package was a small amount of nuclear material,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo turned back to the living room to see Jongdae leading Baekhyun through what looked like a baby obstacle course.

“We have money, I can hire a professional,” said Kyungsoo.

“Jongdae is a professional, of sorts,” said Jongin. “He walks dogs for a living now and he's very highly rated on Yelp.”

“Jongin, we have one baby. We will probably only ever have one baby thanks to crap adoption laws that discriminate against gay dads and Night People even now. Said baby is my world. Please don't just let random relatives take care of him so we can get some alone time, there are other ways,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin gently moved Kyungsoo to the doorway of the bedroom, angling him so he could see Jongdae cradling Baekhyun while singing beautifully. Baekhyun was out.

“Don't worry, Soo, he knows what he's doing,” said Jongin, planting a kiss on Kyungsoo’s nape.

—

“Our signature bread pudding with a cognac shooter, gentlemen. Enjoy,” said the waiter.

Kyungsoo moved to dip his spoon in their shared dessert when Jongin leaned closer to him on the bench. “I want to box up dessert and eat it off your ass back at the room,” said Jongin.

“That sounds really unhygienic,” said Kyungsoo, licking the spoon.

“Am I the only horny one?” asked Jongin, slumping on the bench seat next to Kyungsoo. “We've only been together a few months and I just don't want the fire to die out. I'm scared that the fact we fell in love after, like, two minutes is going to cause problems down the line. It's not exactly normal.”

Kyungsoo discreetly shifted his hand to Jongin’s thigh and from there rubbed it along his soft dick.

“No dessert needed. I want you to get so hard you can't cover up your erection and then eat my ass until I cry in that bathroom over there,” said Kyungsoo lowly, continuing to stroke.

Jongin twisted in his seat.

“I was going to let you get to the room before sharing my thoughts, but if you're nervous about the fire staying alive, I wouldn't want you to worry, Juice Pouch.”

Jongin spread his thighs to allow Kyungsoo more access. Kyungsoo rolled his dick between his fingers a bit, pinching it a little in just the right way.

“Can you jerk me off right here?” asked Jongin.

“You don't need that,” said Kyungsoo. “I thought you wanted to feel fire?” He gripped Jongin harder.

—

The elevator ride up to the suite was uncomfortable to say the least. 

Both Jongin and Kyungsoo had glowing skin and disheveled hair. Kyungsoo’s face was wet due to tear tracks and Jongin looked as though he had washed his face but forgot to towel off. They both carried their coats in front of their bodies, and Kyungsoo’s shirt was untucked.

A couple and a family of three got on the elevator at the lobby near the restaurant entrance with them, effectively cooling the evening’s festivities for a few minutes. 

Jongin and Kyungsoo stood very still and silent along the back wall. Eventually Kyungsoo dropped his hand to loop his pinkie over Jongin’s for the duration of the ride up.

By the time the elevator reached their floor, it was empty and Kyungsoo was feeling Jongin’s dick through his pants again.

The pair stumbled out and headed to their corner suite. Kyungsoo walked in front as Jongin reached forward to grab an asscheek.

He paused in front of the door and felt around in his pocket for the keycard.

“Where is it, honey? Do you need help finding it?” asked Jongin as he slid his hands into Kyungsoo’s front pockets and felt toward his dick while trying to bite his ear.

“I don't know where it went,” said Kyungsoo. “I'll have to go down to the lobby and get a spare.”

Jongin ground his hard dick into the crack between Kyungsoo’s clothed cheeks and started kissing on his neck.

“Figure something out or I'm going to take you right here in the hallway,” said Jongin against his ear.

Kyungsoo braced his hands on the door frame and pushed his ass back while Jongin wrapped around him to unsnap his pants and slowly lower the zipper.

“You wouldn't,” panted Kyungsoo, writhing against Jongin.

“Keep telling yourself that,” said Jongin as he slid his hand inside Kyungsoo’s briefs. He groped around before taking Kyungsoo’s dick in hand firmly.

Kyungsoo scrambled for his phone and typed in a text message.

“Are you going to fuck me dry in the hallway of a four-star hotel?” asked Kyungsoo.

“I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you?” asked Jongin. “That foreign car worth of therapy and all that educational porn watching was so worth it.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “How do you know me so well?” he asked.

“I’d be honored to fuck you in this hall or wherever, but I travel prepared,” said Jongin, taking a packet of lube out of his pocket.

Kyungsoo’s phone rang.

“Hello, yes, it's really me,” said Kyungsoo, a bit breathless.

Jongin slid his lubed fingers past Kyungsoo’s briefs and eased one past his rim.

“Would that he possible?” asked Kyungsoo. “I’d very much like to enter the room immediately rather than ahh–”

Jongin slid two fingers in and slowly pumped them.

“I appreciate this so much,” said Kyungsoo, his eyes darting around.

Jongin used his other hand to grip Kyungsoo’s dick again and slowly stroke it. Kyungsoo thrust back onto Jongin’s fingers.

“Yes, yes, yes if you could, yes,” said Kyungsoo, as Jongin wiggled his briefs down to expose him without removing his hands.

“Faster,” whispered Kyungsoo. Jongin picked up the pace, Kyungsoo’s lower body half exposed to any who happened to enter the hallway at any moment.

“No, no, not you,” said Kyungsoo, “I realize that, you're working as fast as you can, thank you.” 

Nervous laughter bubbled up, but Kyungsoo kept dropping his ass back on Jongin’s fingers.

“Can I do it right here?” whispered Jongin.

Kyungsoo nodded, arching his back.

The electronic doorpad beeped and light up.

“Thanks, bye,” gasped Kyungsoo, as Jongin turned the handle and pushed him into the room.

Kyungsoo dropped his pants and kicked off his shoes while Jongin opened his pants and took out his dick.

“Table,” said Jongin, meaning the dining room table right in front of them. Kyungsoo placed his hands on the edge and arched his back again.

Jongin was using the remains of the lube packet to slick up his dick.

Jongin walked up behind him and eased his dick right in.

“What are you waiting for?” whined Kyungsoo.

“I don't want to hurt you,” said Jongin.

“Why not?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Because I want you to fuck me real good later,” he said, finishing the statement with a thrust.

Kyungsoo’s head hung down as he reveled in the feeling.

“More,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin guided Kyungsoo by the neck to lean over the table and eased his right knee on top of it.

He thrust in harder while Kyungsoo clawed at the smooth surface of the lacquer. 

“I should take you back outside and fuck you right on the hallway carpet til you get rug burns, that way everyone will know that you're dirty. I bet you'd like that, right?” asked Jongin.

Kyungsoo moaned.

“You could beg and plead loudly and make everyone look out their peepholes to see you taking my dick,” said Jongin. “It wouldn't just be the person across the hallway spying on us. Everyone would be watching.”

“Someone was actually watching us?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Of course they were,” said Jongin, nuzzling against the side of Kyungsoo’s throat. “Why do you think I let them see a hint of your pretty ass? I know you want to be admired as your hole gets wrecked.”

“Do you think they were touching themselves?” asked Kyungsoo, shifting his leg to place greater strain on his entrance.

Jongin reached around to fondle Kyungsoo’s dick and sack. “Like this?” he asked. He shifted his hand to grip Kyungsoo’s dick firmly and pump it once again. “Or like this?”

“Uh huh,” said Kyungsoo, thrusting back.

“What if they're listening at the door right now, ready to come?” asked Jongin. He thrust harder. “I bet they're so impressed by how good you take my dick. They probably want to slide in after and fuck your hole once it's loose and filled with my cum.”

“Fuck,” moaned Kyungsoo, reaching down to stroke his dick.

“You'd like that, right? Two big loads filling you up. You might even beg to get stuffed by two dicks at once, now that I think about it,” said Jongin.

“You'd plug my ass, right?” asked Kyungsoo.

“You want to walk around with all that?” asked Jongin. “I should have known. But if you're that fucked out, some would still escape. I wouldn't want that to happen in public, it might embarrass you.”

“Come inside,” said Kyungsoo, “and then stuff my cum in, too.”

“You do want a full load, wow,” said Jongin. “You're so nasty. I love it.”

Kyungsoo moaned and bucked back.

“Are you going to come all over this table for me?” asked Jongin.

“Mmhmm,” said Kyungsoo as his body tightened.

“Next time I should record you so you can see how well you take this dick,” said Jongin, stroking Kyungsoo’s entrance. “I bet you'd like to see that.”

Kyungsoo’s head dropped forward as his cum spurted onto the table. He triggered Jongin’s orgasm, causing him to empty himself inside Kyungsoo.

Jongin’s softening dick slid through the mess, pushing some of his cum into Kyungsoo deeper and some of it to escape where they were connected.

“Hop on the table, off to the side,” said Jongin while pulling out and walking to his overnight bag.

Kyungsoo slowly lowered his leg and arranged himself on the table facing Jongin.

“Lean back,” said Jongin, holding his hand below Kyungsoo’s head as he lay on the table. “Hold your knees.”

Kyungsoo was folded atop the table, his bottom exposed. His dick sluggishly twitched.

Jongin scooped Kyungsoo’s cum from the tabletop with two fingers and pushed it into his raw rim. He repeated the motions until it was mostly cleaned up and then held his fingers over the entrance.

“Can I plug you?” asked Jongin.

“Please,” rasped Kyungsoo.

“I'm going to go with something a bit bigger than usual because I really want you to fuck me with it in later,” said Jongin, “and I don't want you worried about it popping out.”

“Yes,” said Kyungsoo, relishing the feel of the plug at his entrance, which slid in to seal him.

—

Thirty minutes later, the pair were cleaned up with their naked limbs tangled in bed, clutching each other while napping.

Kyungsoo woke with a start when he realized that he'd fallen asleep, shifting to feel the plug still in his ass.

He looked at Jongin sleeping peacefully and brushed his hair from his face. He thought back to their previous discussions about Jongin’s kinks.

“Juice Pouch, feel free to stay sleeping,” said Kyungsoo, “I'm going to deliver on that fantasy of yours.”

Jongin smiled and nodded while stretching, but he kept his eyes closed.

The couple had talked about Jongin’s ultimate fantasy one morning when Baekhyun woke them up early and they couldn't get back to sleep. Sometimes when Kyungsoo thought of it his dick would harden so fast that his head would ache. It was time to experience it.

Kyungsoo lubed up his fingers and worked them into Jongin. Jongin kept his eyes shut.

Kyungsoo shifted until he was positioned over Jongin’s dick, but instead of lowering his head to suck it, he dipped his head until he was over Jongin’s femoral artery. He moved in slowly, but his restraint crumbled once he smelled Jongin’s musk and the blood beneath his skin. He dove in, sucking with relish while continuing to finger Jongin.

Jongin’s dick deflated for want of blood. It was a key part of the fantasy: getting hard would be much more difficult with less blood.

Kyungsoo sealed the wound and pulled his fingers from Jongin’s hole. He settled over Jongin so their dicks aligned and he took them in one hand to pump them together. His was immeasurably harder, but Jongin’s weakly fattened up and sluggishly supplied precome.

Kyungsoo used his opposite hand to wipe up precome and smear it under Jongin’s nose and all over his lips. 

“I bet if you were awake you'd be nutting over the smell of your dick,” whispered Kyungsoo.

Jongin moaned a little and Kyungsoo eased his fingers into Jongin’s mouth, which he sucked lightly.

“I should fuck your mouth while you're asleep and wake you up, but I have bigger plans involving that pretty hole of yours,” said Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo pulled back to survey Jongin’s entrance and feel that his own plug was solidly inserted. He took one of Jongin’s ankles and held it in the air to expose him, and slipped his dick in.

Jongin shifted.

“Shh,” said Kyungsoo, gently stroking his dick. “Keep sleeping and enjoy the dream.”

Kyungsoo slipped a finger in beside his dick and felt around.

“You’re a good boy,” said Kyungsoo. “I should give you a special treat.”

He pulled out of Jongin and grabbed something that he slid over his dick and looped under his swollen balls. He lubed up the device and lined up his sheathed dick with Jongin’s entrance.

“I've heard that you've been dreaming about taking a knot,” said Kyungsoo. “I happen to have one for you.”

He thrust halfway in before the girth of the knot proved to be too much for Jongin’s taxed rim. Jongin’s eyes flew open.

“What is that?” asked Jongin.

“The knot of your dreams,” said Kyungsoo.

“You have a knot?” he asked, his eyes enormous.

“A sheath made for my dick, yes,” said Kyungsoo.

Jongin let out a noise while reaching for his dick.

“Stuff it in,” said Jongin, “oh my god.”

“I think it might be too big,” said Kyungsoo.

“Not possible,” said Jongin, “remember when I almost took your fist on vacation?”

“Yeah, but my hands aren't exactly huge…” said Kyungsoo.

“Pull out,” said Jongin, rolling over to display his ass once free. He arched his back and held onto the sheets for stability. “Fuck it into me.”

Kyungsoo lubed up the sheath again, sliding the tip into Jongin and easing partially in.

“I'm going to warm you up to hopefully knot you now,” said Kyungsoo while gently pushing the protrusion against Jongin’s rim.

“Just do it,” said Jongin whining and pushing his ass back.

Kyungsoo gripped the sheath and thrust into Jongin, moving the knot inside him with a pop.

“Oh my god, oh my god, are you ok?” asked Kyungsoo, looking at where they were connected.

Jongin whimpered. “I'm so close, thrust.”

“I don't think I can move it, it's like we’re tied,” said Kyungsoo.

“Grind it, anything,” he said while fisting his dick frantically.

Kyungsoo rocked into Jongin with force to move the knot a few millimeters. 

“Yes, yes,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo rocked harder, fearful of the strain.

“Pull out your plug,” said Jongin. “You’re all open and ready for taking this next. You need to experience this.”

Kyungsoo reached back and pulled. He tossed the plug onto the towel they had used to clean up and began to shudder as he felt the cum inside him begin to roll past his rim and trickle down his thighs.

Kyungsoo began to buck harder, feeling his release coming. 

“I'm obviously shooting this in you,” said Kyungsoo.

“No worries, I’ll clean us both out later,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo came at the thought of Jongin’s long fingers lovingly stroking and cleaning him from the inside. His release contributed to the sound of sticky sex that filled the bedroom. The cum gave the sheath more slip, allowing Kyungsoo to rut it into Jongin more forcefully, filling him up with knot.

“Kyungsoo, I can't I can't,” whimpered Jongin. “It's too much it's too good, I can't come.”

“You want me to pull out and leave you with a gaping ass and no orgasm?” asked Kyungsoo.

“No, no, keep going I just,” said Jongin, bucking his ass back onto Kyungsoo’s sheathed dick.

Kyungsoo leaned down to take Jongin’s dick in his hand, gripping it far more gently. “Be nice to yourself, Juice Pouch, you're doing such a good job of taking this knot. Close your eyes and enjoy the dream. Let the big bad knot wreck you while you're at peace.”

Jongin closed his eyes and went limp while continuing to hold up his body for easy pounding. His mouth opened as he gasped for air when his orgasm approached.

“That's it, relax and let it all in,” said Kyungsoo, bottoming out. “Such a good boy.”

Jongin screamed when his orgasm hit, causing him to tighten around the knot and shoot cum all over the fine sheets. 

Kyungsoo attempted to pull out immediately, but found that Jongin’s body held tight around the sheath.

“Are you stuck?” asked Jongin.

“Until your jealous hole decides to stop clinging to my not knot,” said Kyungsoo. “Probably 30 minutes left.”

“Holy shit that was intense,” said Jongin, slowly scooting so he and Kyungsoo could spoon while connected outside of the messy sheet zone.

“You like it?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Umm” said Jongin, “it’s only my top fantasy. My dick isn't going to work right for a week, I bet.”

“What about your claim that you were going to knot me once we were done?” asked Kyungsoo, thrusting lightly into Jongin.

“A week after that. I have enough dick left for that,” said Jongin. “You're so cheesy during sex, I love it.”

Kyungsoo slapped his ass lightly.

“Ya! I learned all this shit by watching porn, it's like the dialogue seeped into my brain and rotted it,” said Kyungsoo.

“I love cheesy Soo,” said Jongin. “Nasty Soo, daddy Soo, comedian Soo, cooking Soo…”

—

“We are gathered here today–” 

“Waaaeeeeee!” yelled Baekhyun.

“Waaaaaaeeeeee, indeed!” said Jongdae, shifting the baby to his other leg. They sat on the couch in front of a coffee table flanked by two artsy chairs.

“Anyway, we’re gathered here to unite these two dinosaurs in holy matrimony,” said Jongdae. “Oh, wait, I forgot to play your intro music.”

He fiddled with his phone and hit play. 

“Ok, guys, walk out,” yelled Jongdae.

Kyungsoo exited the master bedroom holding a dinosaur in his hand, but walking normally. Jongin came out of the third bedroom holding his figurine aloft and walking seriously as though the living room were an aisle.

“What the hell music is this, Jongdae?” asked Kyungsoo under his breath.

“It’s the closing song from the pirate puppet rock opera I wrote last spring,” said Jongdae.

“Do you really think it’s appropriate for my wedding...between two dinosaurs?” asked Kyungsoo, setting his figurine on the coffee table and taking a seat.

“Yeah?” said Jongdae. “I know you’re stressed, but just try to enjoy this day. This is a heart-warming song about the love between a man, the waves, and rum. Very suitable for the occasion.”

Jongin silently slid his figurine onto the coffee table and took a seat across from Kyungsoo.

“Dearly beloved dinosaurs. We are gathered today to unite this dino and this other dino,” said Jongdae, “in the institution of marriage. It’s a bond so important that we’re doing it even though dinosaurs died out long ago. Maybe if they had discovered the teachings of Minister Han on public access channel 85 and bothered to get married–”

“Can we get on with it before my kid starts screaming?” asked Kyungsoo lowly.

“Anyway, so here we are. Do you have the rings?” asked Jongdae.

Baekhyun wiggled his arms.

“Oh, yes, of course, the ring bearer has them,” said Jongdae, removing two bread twists formed into rings from the pocket of Baekhyun’s onesie. He placed the rings between the figurines.

“Velociraptor, repeat after me,” said Jongdae.

Jongin scooted his figurine closer to Kyungsoo’s.

“I, Velociraptor, take you, Brachiosaurus, for my lawful husband,” said Jongdae.

“I, Velociraptor, take you, Brachiosaurus, for my lawful husband,” said Jongin, giggling while saying the names.

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death by extinction do us part,” said Jongdae.

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death by extinction do us part,” said Jongin, managing to keep it together.

“Brachiosaurus, repeat after me,” said Jongdae. “I, Brachiosaurus, take you, Velociraptor, for my lawful husband,” said Jongdae.

“I, Brachiosaurus, take you, Velociraptor, for my lawful husband,” said Kyungsoo softly.

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death by extinction do us part,” said Jongdae.

Kyungsoo repeated the words while staring into Jongin’s eyes.

“Brachiosaurus and Velociraptor obviously died out, like, many millions of years ago in part thanks to their rejection of marriage, so it’s up to you two humans to keep their love alive, in part by wearing these rings,” said Jongdae.

“Jongin, please place the ring on Kyungsoo’s finger while making a promise to him,” said Jongdae.

Jongin picked up the ring and paused. “I don’t know what to say,” said Jongin, giggling.

“Fine, fine, I’ll make something up for you,” said Jongdae.

“I, Jongin, give you, Kyungsoo, this ring in the spirit of Velociraptor, a small but noble creature discovered by archaeologists in Mongolia in 1923,” said Jongdae.

“Umm, thank you,” said Jongin. “I, Jongin, give you this ring in the spirit of Velociraptor, a small but noble creature discovered by archaeologists in Mongolia.”

“In 1923,” said Jongdae.

“In 1923,” said Jongin.

“I promise to love you always,” said Jongdae.

“I promise to love you always,” said Jongin.

“And make your favorite snacks,” said Jongdae.

“And be your favorite snack,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo grabbed the remaining ring. “I can handle my own,” he said.

Jongdae nodded and sat back to watch.

“I, Kyungsoo, give you, Jongin, this ring as a token of my love and appreciation,” said Kyungsoo, his eyes filling with tears. “I thought that I would go extinct before finding someone who loved me for who I am and who could make me feel like more than an animal trapped in a tar pit, waiting to die. When you kicked me on the train during the takeover, you moved my heart. From the moment I met you, you have been the partner and occasional energy source I couldn’t have even hoped for. I love you with every bit of my body and soul. I'm so lucky.”

Jongin watched the tears spill down Kyungsoo’s face before rushing forward to wipe them away with his thumbs. 

“I’d really like to kiss you,” said Kyungsoo. “I never thought I’d like kissing but it turns out–”

Jongin moved forward and rubbed his nose along Kyungsoo’s before joining their lips in a kiss.

“The dinosaur proxies may kiss,” said Jongdae, “although you’re already doing that.”

Jongin and Kyungsoo continued to kiss as Baekhyun banged on the table with a figurine.

“I'm the lucky one,” whispered Jongin in Kyungsoo’s ear.

“By the power vested in me by an online course while you were on your date, I hereby pronounce you husband and husband,” said Jongdae. “May you love each other always so the human race can continue.”

What Kyungsoo and Jongin would never know is that their chance encounter on the train and blossoming love set off a series of events that saved humans — including Night People — from extinction. Had Kyungsoo allowed the guard to drain Jongin, that guard would have instigated a wave of violence that would have eventually resulted in the death of President Moon and collapse of the peace talks that prevented a Day Person genocide. If Jongin had not run away with Baekhyun when he felt his heart suddenly move toward love, Kyungsoo wouldn't have summoned Sehun to Chuncheon, thereby saving Sehun’s life from a band of charged up Night People that stormed Adoré Atlantic that night. Without Sehun, lead investor in SSSB and owner of the formula patent, the best chance Night People had at normal lives would have died with him. 

This is often called the butterfly effect: something small as the flapping of wings setting off events that can impact something totally else half a world away. In the case of Jongin and Kyungsoo, it was the inconvenient, hiccuping first beats of love in their sad hearts that saved humanity. The couple was right: they were lucky that they found each other, but so was the world.


End file.
